The Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg she was brought in twice today during an indigenous rights demonstration in Oslo – police removed her first from the finance ministry and, shortly afterwards, from the environment ministry.

Thunberg has since Monday joined forces with protesters demanding the removal of 151 wind turbines from reindeer pastures used by the indigenous Sami (Lapp) herders in central Norway. Activists say the transition to green energy should not come at the expense of indigenous rights. In recent days, protesters have blocked access to government buildings, embarrassing Norway’s center-left minority government. Energy Minister Terge Aasland was forced to cancel an official visit to Britain.

Norway’s Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that wind turbines installed at two wind farms in Fossen, part of Europe’s largest onshore wind farm, violated Sami rights as defined by international conventions. However, the wind turbines remain in operation, 16 months after the court decision.

Police escorted Thunberg, who was holding a flag in Sami colors (red, blue, yellow and green), from the finance ministry as hundreds of protesters chanted slogans.

“We want to make it clear that the Norwegian state is committing a real crime here, violating human rights,” Thunberg told Reuters minutes later.

Together with other protesters, the young activist then blocked the entrance to the Ministry of Environment, only to be removed again by the police.

Thunberg and the other activists brought with her were released shortly after.

Reindeer herders say the sight and sound of the giant power-generating machines scares their animals and disrupts their traditions. The president of the Sami parliament, an elected advisory body, will meet with the energy minister on Thursday and demand an apology from the state before talks on finding a solution begin. “The government needs to admit that human rights are being violated and act accordingly, treating the matter with the seriousness it deserves,” said Silie Karine Mutoka.

Activists said yesterday that they have raised an amount of about $100,000 to pay the fines imposed on them by the police.