A federal judge ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to pay almost $28 million in damages to North Dakota, saying the organization “abandoned the rule of law” during protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in 2016 and 2017.

U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor faulted the actions of President Barack Obama’s Army COE in a ruling on April 23.

While midstream company Energy Transfer built the project, thousands of protesters arrived near construction site to demonstrate. The largest protest camp was on land managed by the Corps.

The state accused the protesters of harassing Energy Transfer and others associated with the project by throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails, according to the ruling. Traynor also noted in his ruling that the cleanup following the protest gathered 10 million pounds of garbage.

The offices of North Dakota’s governor and attorney general released a statement applauding the ruling.

“Decisions made by the Obama administration emboldened protestors and ultimately caused millions of dollars in damage to North Dakota, while endangering the health and safety of North Dakota communities, families and law enforcement officers who responded to the protests,” Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Attorney General Drew Wrigley said in the statement.

The Army Corps of Engineers has not announced whether it will appeal the ruling.

In March, Energy Transfer notched another legal victory over the project. The midstream company won a $660 million lawsuit against environmental group Greenpeace for its role in the protest.

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