Extinction Rebellion is planning major protests in Oslo ahead of the election

Extinction Rebellion is mobilizing its supporters across the Nordic region for a major wave of demonstrations in Oslo before the election.

“It will be historic,” Dag Kolstø told NTB. He is one of the activists in Extinction Rebellion (XR) who now hopes to send shock waves through the Norwegian election campaign.

According to Kolstø, the goal is for the protests in Oslo from August 23 to 29 to be the largest civil disobedience campaign when it comes to climate and the environment in Norway since the Alta uprising 40 years ago.

Kolstø predicts hundreds of people will be arrested.

“Our demand is that oil must be stopped in its entirety,” he said.

Parades, marches, and blockades

The campaign begins on Monday, August 23, with a parade organized by XR Ung. The parade is set to begin at the Monolith in Vigelandsparken at 10 AM and should go through the embassy district, past the Palace, and to the Norwegian parliament (Storting).

At 4 PM, Monday’s program will end with a roadblock protest at Ankerbrua.

On Tuesday, the campaign will continue with a roadblock protest at Frederiks gate and Karl Johans gate at 11 AM.

On Wednesday, a “mourning march” will be held, and action will be taken against institutions in Oslo that XR holds responsible for the environmental crisis.

The demonstrations will not end until Saturday. 

Secret demonstrations

Throughout the week, secret protests and blockades will also be arranged.

“They are secret so that they will not be sabotaged by the police. We have a dialogue with the police, and they have said that if we tell them about civil disobedience actions, then they will have to try to stop them,” Kolstø explained.

But the shock effect is also important. When the campaign is carried out in Oslo, it becomes difficult to ignore it, Kolstø pointed out.

XR will also arrange courses in civil disobedience in advance of the demonstrations.

“These courses in civil disobedience are a proud tradition that goes all the way back to the civil rights movement,” Kolstø said.

Corona issues

The protest week will be carried out in collaboration with XR in Sweden and Denmark. The organizers hope that activists will show up from all over Scandinavia.

The number of people who will participate is still uncertain. More and more regions in Sweden and Denmark are turning “red” or “orange,” so only people with a “green” corona certificate can travel freely across the border. In an internal Telegram channel, XR has tried to inform foreign activists about the rules that apply. “Do not try to sneak into Norway,” the warning states.

“We can not continue with oil. It is already late to do something about the climate crisis…” Kolstø stated.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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