Stop Chemring Nobel!

Squatted house in Avgrunnsdalen, Hurummarka, where a planned explosives factory is supposed to be built. 

On April 2nd we established an Actively Defended Zone (Aktivt Forsvart Sone – AFS) in the abandoned military barrack in Avgrunnsdalen, Hurummarka.

We support the local community in defending Hurummarka against the Ministry of Defence and Chemring Nobel’s plans for Europe’s biggest explosives factory. If built, this factory would become an essential part of the profit oriented military industrial complex. 

While Chemring Nobel gets permission to increase their pollution of the Oslo Fjord, people who have fished and nourished themselves from the Fjord their entire lives will be criminalized if they continue to do so. The Norwegian State is running a sham democratic process and supports Chemring Nobel with hundred of millions (NOK). Meanwhile, the local municipalities have to pay for the restoration of the Fjord themselves. 

Despite the 53 red-listed species registered in the construction and consideration area, which give the area as a whole “very large” biodiversity value, the woods will be fragmented, razed and further poisoned by military wastes.

The factory will not be built for self-defense, as is claimed, but to enrich shareholders and owners while expanding the war machine and the American empire. Chemring Nobel is 100% owned by British Chemring Group PLC, where american BlackRock is the biggest shareholder. BlackRock is accused of serious human rights violations while also destroying ecosystems globally. 90% of Chemring Nobel’s production is exported to other countries, most of it going to the US weapons industry like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and SpaceX, and is therefore directly linked to the genocidal regime called israel.

We know that the explosives produced by Chemring Nobel are used in the american produced Hellfire-missile. These are widely used in israel’s genocide on Palestinians. Chemring Nobel and Nammo secured themselves a twelve year agreement with german Diehl Defence last year, which entails exporting ammunition to the German military. Diehl Defence itself is in close cooperation with the israeli weapons industry.

Militarization also amplifies Norway’s internal colonialism of Sápmi. Multiple mines, highways, energy infrastructure development and military bases (the US has access to 15 military bases in Sápmi) have been built on traditional grazing areas; all this to cover Norway’s and the war machine’s material and energy needs.

The US and NATO are already the largest military empire the world has ever seen, so the narrative of self-defense is nothing but a distraction from NATO’s (and Norway’s) ongoing imperialist and bloody wars over land and resources. It is high time that we realize that capitalism and the power elite will never have the interests of the people. History teaches us that following the state’s rules of protest is not enough to tear down the structures that dominate, exploit and oppress.

While Trump, Musk, the NATO chief, the EU chief and the rest of the Western power elite speak in the same terms as Goebbels, with visions of defending Western civilization and creating jobs in the war industry, WE have visions of a more beautiful world where we can walk in forests with birdsong and a deep relationship with the trees and everyone that lives there. One where the rivers run free of lead and nitrogen, where kids can swim and play in the fjord, where the people can share nature’s gift fairly amongst each other. For us, this does not just feel like visions, but like whispering drips from the future.

Instead of a war factory, we want our newly occupied house in Avgrundsdalen to become a self-run social center for a more solidary world, and a good neighbor to Rødbysetra Activity Center for young people. Rearmament and fear mongering do not create security for people and the environment, on the contrary, they increase the risk of war. Chemring’s factory will be a clear target in a potential war.

Instead of sinking into apathy and hopelessness, we find deep meaning in a loving community that fights for the more beautiful world we know is possible. Genocide and colonialism are profited from and produced, among other things, here, in Hurumlandet, and it should be stopped here and now. Let’s stand side by side in the fight.

Down with all states and their bloody wars! 

No peace price to Chemring Nobel! 

For questions you can send us an email.