The Greta Thunberg Oslo protest blocked Karl Johans gate outside DNB’s central-Oslo offices on 21 August 2025, as Extinction Rebellion gathered several hundred activists to denounce Norway’s oil and gas policy and call for a phase-out plan ahead of local elections.
Why Karl Johans gate and DNB were targeted
Karl Johans gate is Oslo’s main avenue, running past the Stortinget (Parliament). Demonstrators concentrated at DNB’s premises to pressure the financial sector and lawmakers, whom organizers argue “profit from and protect the oil industry.” According to the movement, activists travelled from across Europe to join the action in Norway’s capital.
Police response: 16 activists reported after sit-in inside DNB
The Oslo Police District (Oslo politidistrikt) said officers removed protesters who entered DNB’s lobby and refused to leave. Sixteen activists were reported after the indoor sit-in; police described the removal as proportionate and without injuries. Incident commander Kristian Digranes noted that officers sought to safeguard freedom of expression while restoring access to the site.
Greta Thunberg Oslo protest and the wider Oslo action
Greta Thunberg took part in the blockade and broader actions in Oslo. The event forms part of a week-long campaign by Extinction Rebellion Norway (Extinction Rebellion Norge) that mobilized hundreds of participants for non-violent civil disobedience in Arendal, Bergen and Oslo. Organizers framed the Karl Johans gate occupation as a focal point to keep pressure close to national institutions and major lenders.
From Mongstad refinery to Oslo: escalation of climate protests
The Oslo blockade followed a Mongstad action on 18 August, when around 200 activists obstructed access to Equinor’s refinery, Norway’s largest. Thunberg joined that demonstration as well. The sequence underscored a strategy of targeting both fossil infrastructure and finance, aiming to link extraction sites with capital flows in the city center.
What the activists demand before the September vote
Organizers demand that the government present a clear plan to phase out oil and gas. “It is completely wild that we don’t have a plan for phasing out oil and gas… our resistance continues here in Oslo,” said XR Norway spokesperson Milla Haugen. DNB, for its part, stated it respects lawful demonstrations without violence or disruption to customers and staff.
Implications for Norway and the Nordic debate
The protest brings the Nordic energy transition back into focus. Norway—Europe’s key oil and gas exporter—faces increasing climate activism linking human rights, justice and nature to energy policy. With Oslo at the center of today’s action, the confrontation between civil disobedience, financial institutions, and petroleum policy is likely to intensify as campaigning continues.
Reporting notes: Names and official titles are given with Norwegian forms in parentheses where relevant; quoted statements translated into English.
