The Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg wanted to enter the Norwegian Oil and Energy Ministry in Oslo late on Sunday, but was stopped by security guards.
“The decision was made because, from a security point of view, you don’t want more protesters in the building,” says responsible Espen Evensen to NTB.
The background is the sit-down strike that has been going on inside the department since Thursday, carried out by Sami activists from Fosen in central Norway.
They are demonstrating for the government to stop the large wind farm that has been built on a mountain area that the Sami have used for centuries for winter grazing for their reindeer.
Already in 2021, Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that the developments in the area are illegal and violate the rights of the Sami. But despite the fact that 500 days have passed since the verdict on Thursday, nothing has happened and the 150 wind turbines are still standing.
— I expect the ministry to take the demand that the violation of our rights seriously, says Silje Karine Muotka, chairwoman of the Norwegian Sami Parliament, who is also present.
The activists state that they will not leave voluntarily until a decision is made to demolish the turbines. During Monday, they plan to block off the entire building in which they are on strike.
However, they have to do that without Greta Thunberg, who had to content herself with talking to the activists through a side door on Sunday.