Thunberg, Dozens of Activists Block Norway's Energy Ministry Over Wind Farm

Facts

• Dozens of environmental activists, including Greta Thunberg, protested in front of the entrance to Norway’s energy ministry in Oslo on Monday against a wind farm they say infringes on the rights of the Sami Indigenous.¹
• In October 2021, Norway’s Supreme Court ruled that the construction of wind turbines in Fosen, central Norway, violated the rights of the Sami, who have for centuries used the land to raise reindeer. The turbines currently remain in operation.²
• The protesters occupied the ministry's lobby over the weekend, until they were evicted by police early Monday. The demonstrators then chained themselves outside the main entrance to the building, causing authorities to urge energy ministry employees to work from home.³
• Sami reindeer herders in Norway have said that the sight and sound of the wind turbines scare their animals and disrupt their traditional practices.⁴
• The energy ministry has responded that, despite the supreme court ruling, the ultimate fate of the wind farms is a complex legal issue that they are still figuring out how to deal with. Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Terje Aasland, said in a statement: “The ministry will do what it can to contribute to resolving this case and that it will not take longer than necessary.”⁴
• Thunberg has claimed that the ultimate goal of the protest was to have 'the windmills taken down and the land to be returned to the Indigenous communities.'¹

Sources: ¹Euronews, ²Reuters, ³CBS and ⁴Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Reuters. While the Norweigan Supreme Court did rule that the wind turbines violate Sami rights, it did not give guidance as to what should happen to the turbines or the roads built during their construction. The energy ministry is currently trying to navigate this complex legal landscape and resolve this issue as soon as possible.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Euronews. The shift to renewable energy is important but it should not come at the expense of indigenous rights — climate protection and climate action must come hand in hand with climate justice. The Sami people have waited for over 16 months for their land rights to be restored. It is time for the Norweigan government to take the wind mills down.

Predictions