– The grief and trauma goes through generations

On Thursday, the Fosen protesters’ actions against the government buildings were extended. The police responded by stepping up their reactions. So far they have arrested 12 protesters.

While the demonstrators shouted “let the mountains live” and cheered, the police cut off the chains the activists had locked themselves with in front of the entrance to the Ministry of Finance. Then the police began to carry them into the waiting police cars. One after another. When the car was full, they were driven to the detention center.

On Thursday afternoon, the Oslo police announced in a press release that they had arrested 12 demonstrators.

– The grief and trauma goes through generations. We felt that our ancestors were with us in the joik. It is very strong to stand here and see our own people being carried away, says Aina-Sööfe Gaebpien-Njaita from Majavatn in Nordland.

The Fosen activists are demonstrating against the fact that the state has taken no action after the Supreme Court ruled over 500 days ago that wind turbines set up in the reindeer grazing area at Fosen are illegal.

– It is a tragedy that we young people have to stand in 2023 to fight to get back areas we have lost. We are coming to get the rights, we must have a future for reindeer husbandry, she says.

Friend Elle Vesterfjell (16) is also there. She often works with reindeer husbandry for the family of Aina-Sööfe Gaebpien-Njaita.

See photos from the arrests and demonstrations here:

Extends the actions

Earlier this week, the campaigners blocked the entrance outside the Ministry of Oil and Energy. Then they sat down in front of the Ministry of Finance as well. On Thursday, they expanded to also block the Ministry of Culture and Equality.

At several other ministries, including the Ministry of Climate and the Environment, activists sat in front of the entrances on Thursday morning. Nature and Youth states that they are now campaigning in ten ministries.

Spokesperson from the National Confederation of Norwegian Samirs, Niillas Beaska, tells NTB that they would block the entrances to more people.

– We are going to reach the double-digit number of ministries that we are closing down. This is only getting worse and worse for the state, says Beaska.

Among other things, the actions lead to Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp) being prevented from holding a planned press conference in the ministry building. It has now been moved to another building.

The police made arrests

Shortly after the actions were extended, the Departments’ Security and Service Organization (DSS) asked the police to remove the Fosen demonstrators in several places.

“DSS has asked the police to remove demonstrators who are preventing the ministries from carrying out their functions. This is important in order to take care of functions critical to society”, writes senior advisor Espen Evensen in an email sent to the media on Thursday morning.

He points out that, as far as possible, they have arranged for the demonstrators to express their message. The demonstrators have been given clear information that they are welcome to express themselves, but that the demonstration cannot come at the expense of the ministries’ work or the security in and around the ministries,” it continues.

This morning, the police removed the campaigners from the Ministry of Finance and carried them into minibuses. And now they are going harder. But the demonstrators in recent days have only been lifted a few meters away before they have been released, they are now being taken to the central detention center at the police station in Grønland in Oslo. They will be reported there.

The police tell Aftenposten around 12 o’clock that they will be reported and that they will make an individual assessment in each individual case as to whether the person brought in will remain in custody or be released again.

Later it became clear that 12 demonstrators had been arrested so far. They are reported for not complying with orders from the police and for getting over roadblocks.

“The police’s assessment is that today’s intervention was necessary in order for the ministries to be able to maintain the necessary operations, and that this only represents a minor intervention in freedom of expression as long as the protesters can express themselves freely in other central places in the government quarter”, writes the Oslo police in a press release Thursday afternoon.

After the police had arrested protesters at the Ministry of Finance, they continued to remove protesters at the Ministry of Culture and Equality.

– It is hard to see that the government would rather remove peaceful demonstrators by force than comply with our demands to stop the human rights violation at Fosen, says Elle Nystad, leader of NSR-Nuorat.

The Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was removed by the police twice on Wednesday, sits outside the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries. She is prepared to be carried away by the police for the third time.

Climbed into government buildings

On Thursday morning, the campaigners also climbed a scaffolding at the Ministry of Oil and Energy’s building R5.

At 10.30am, two people were approximately 15 meters above the ground. They have professional climbing and safety equipment.

Here they have hung a banner with the inscription «Land back. Stop Human Rights Violation in Sápmi».

From the windows, curious employees in the government building followed what was happening.

“There are climbers from Greenpeace who have climbed up along the OED’s building and attached the long banner that is visible from the well-blocked garage. In collaboration with NSR-Nuorat and Natur og Ungdom, the climbers show their support for the Fosen campaign and indigenous rights with their banner action,” writes Nature and Youth in a press release.

Do you want to understand the Fosen case better?

This is how the turbines affect reindeer husbandry:

– It was the best winter pasture we had. Now we have no untouched pastures left.