Greenpeace sues Dow Chemical and others over surveillance and computer hacking charges

[Video Link]

Greenpeace today filed a lawsuit "against Dow Chemical, Sasol [...] and PR firms Dezenhall Resources and Ketchum, for hiring private investigators to steal documents from Greenpeace, tap our phones and hack into our computers."

NYT: The alleged spying occurred between 1998 and 2000 when Greenpeace was campaigning against the release of dioxin, a toxic byproduct of chemical manufacturing, in Lake Charles, Louisiana and other communities.

A PDF of the complaint is here.

• [yragentman]

  “we are going to ask each of the named companies for their side of the story” – talk about a fair and balanced cliff hanger. I am turning blue wondering what Dow Chemical’s PR person will have to say.

• [Nadreck]

  Not sure how they can complain about dumpster diving as I believe, as per many cases against social activist groups for diving into corporate dumpsters, that if you throw it out it’s not yours anymore.

  Did they ever sue France when the French government sent out military assassins to kill some of them?

  • [mortis]

    haha “french military assassins”

    ^m^

    • [Pantograph]

      Here you go: Opération Satanique.

• [TenInchesTaller]

  Huh, I just watched Blue Vinyl today. Weird coincidence!

• [imorgan73]

  Perhaps instead some freedom fighter should just post all their shit online in the name of the great god transparency.

• [JasonsRobot]

  In related news: In 2006 comedian/actor Kevin Nealon and his wife were wiretapped by investigators hired by Ringling Bros circus because Kevin and his wife are animal rights people.

  “Corporate America, we break the law because we merely get fined as punishment – and can wear you out with decades of paperwork if you sue us”