# Greenpeace activists acquitted in Spanish port protest case

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/greenpeace-activists-trial-in-spain
> Updated: 2026-10-06T11:33:57.000Z. Sources: 14. Developments: 3.

Eleven Greenpeace activists of eight different nationalities have been acquitted by a court in Valencia, Spain, regarding a 2021 protest at the Port of Sagunto. The activists had blocked the vessel ‘Merchant’, which was carrying 138,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas extracted through fracking in the United States, for approximately twelve hours.

While prosecutors initially sought five years of prison for each defendant, they later reduced this request to two and a half years following a legal error regarding the application of the Penal Code. The magistrate ultimately ruled that the protest did not involve “acts of violence or intimidation sufficient to seriously alter public peace in the terms required by the criminal type.” This ruling coincided with testimony from Civil Guard officers who described the protest as peaceful, despite noting that the dock was blocked and certain official requirements were not met.

Prior to the verdict, Greenpeace had characterized the legal action as an attempt to “intimidate social mobilization and suppress the right to protest” and noted it had already paid more than 160,000 euros in administrative fines. The organization had also organized large-scale demonstrations in Valencia to support the defendants. The court's ruling is not yet final and may be subject to appeal.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-06: Greenpeace activists acquitted in Spanish port protest case

Eleven Greenpeace activists have been acquitted in Spain of public disorder charges following a 2021 protest that blocked a gas vessel at the Port of Sagunto.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greenpeace-activists-acquitted-in-spanish-port-protest-case

### 2026-09-22: Greenpeace activists face trial in Valencia over Sagunto port blockade

Eleven Greenpeace activists face trial in Valencia, Spain, after a 2021 blockade of a gas vessel in Sagunto. Prosecutors are seeking five-year prison sentences for the group.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greenpeace-activists-face-trial-in-valencia-over-sagunto-port-blockade

### 2026-09-19: Greenpeace activists face prison sentences in Spain

Eleven Greenpeace activists face up to five years in prison in Valencia, Spain, following a 2021 protest blocking a fossil gas ship in Sagunto.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/greenpeace-activists-face-prison-sentences-in-spain

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Cite as: Greenpeace activists acquitted in Spanish port protest case. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/greenpeace-activists-trial-in-spain