On July 2nd over 50 organisations in 18 countries participated in a European Day of Action against SLAPPs, calling on governments to protect us from oligarchs and tech bros who weaponise the law against those speaking out in the public good.

The EU anti-SLAPP directive was passed to protect journalists, activists, and public watchdogs. But one year later, most of us still have no protection. National governments haven’t delivered – and meanwhile, the lawsuits haven’t stopped. Every day, journalists, activists, and human rights defenders face lawsuits simply for doing their jobs: exposing wrongdoing, standing up for communities, telling the truth. These bully legal threats – SLAPPs – are designed to drain time, money, and morale. They aim to scare people into silence and push critical voices out of public life.

July 2nd was a symbolic moment in the resistance against SLAPPs, as Greenpeace International challenged the US oil pipeline company Energy Transfer in court in the Netherlands, being the first big test of the EU directive against SLAPPs. The multi-billion dollar company Energy Transfer brought two back-to-back SLAPP suits against Greenpeace International and Greenpeace in the US after the peaceful Standing Rock protests in 2016 against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The first case was dismissed, but the Greenpeace organisations continue to defend against the second case, which is ongoing, after a North Dakota jury recently awarded over 660 million USD in damages to the pipeline giant, for showing solidarity with the Indigenous-led protest.

Activists, journalists, legal aid, human rights and environmental organisations across Bosnia, Germany, UK, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia and Malta used the symbolic moment and organised online and offline actions against the rising threat of SLAPPs.

This day showed that despite the rise of authoritarianism and oligarchy throughout Europe and the world, the resistance is alive and stronger than ever. And we don’t want to stop at this Day of Action. CASE, the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe, is building a movement of national working groups that are driving governments to protect free speech and the right to protest. National Working Groups have been set up in 21 different countries across Europe.

If you are interested in joining CASE, please send an e-mail to contact@the-case.eu or directly to the CASE coordinator at daisy@indexoncensorship.org.

Another network that may be of interest is Legally Green – an informal network of lawyers who support activists across Europe and activist-led legal support groups with over 100 members from over 60 organizations in more than 20 countries in Europe. It also offers a monthly Bulletin of ongoing court cases, legal developments, solidarity call  outs and crowdfunding initiatives related to the repression of climate and social justice activists across Europe.

Unjust laws were changed when people rose together and now we have to rise again, thank you for resisting!

Photo: Benjamin Ladraa, Solidarity Rising, Sweden