Greta Thunberg, activists block Norway’s energy ministry

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, together with dozens of other activists, occupied the entrance to Norway’s energy ministry in Oslo on Monday to protest against wind farms built on land traditionally used by the Sami indigenous people.

“The Norwegian state is violating human rights and that is completely unacceptable and we need to stand in solidarity in this struggle,” Thunberg said, according to Reuters.

The activists are protesting the construction of six onshore wind farms on the Fosen peninsula in central Norway — the largest such project in Europe. Statkraft, an electricity firm owned by the Norwegian state, is the project’s majority owner.

In October 2021, the Norwegian Supreme Court ruled that the turbines’ construction violated the rights of the Sami people, who have been using the land to raise reindeer for centuries — yet, over a year later, the farms are still operating.

The protest at the Norwegian ministry marks the 500th day since the Supreme Court decision, activists said.

Sami and climate activists occupied the premises throughout the weekend. Police removed them around 2:30 a.m. on Monday, but they returned later that morning, when around 20 protesters were still blocking the doors to the ministry, according to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK.

Thunberg arrived at the scene around 2 a.m. on Monday, according to NRK.

According to Norwegian newswire NTB, quoted by NRK, there were around 200 protesters gathered around the ministry’s building on Monday morning.