Palestinian activists protest outside Nammo facilities in Norway over alleged arms sales to Israel

Palestinian activists protested outside the facilities of Nammo, a weapon manufacturer they accuse of supplying arms and components to Israel. This is not the first demonstration against Nammo, as activists staged a similar protest in December 2023.

Nammo, which is partially owned by the Norwegian state, denies selling weapons to Israel, asserting that any arms sold were to the U.S. Army about a decade ago. The Palestinian Committee demands that Nammo cease any arms sales that could enhance Israel’s military actions against Palestinians and insists that Norwegian export regulations also apply to Norwegian-owned factories abroad.

On Thursday morning, activists gathered outside Nammo’s location, with Palestinian Committee leader Turid Thomassen stating that they chained themselves to the gates to protest what they described as Norway’s complicity in the genocide in Gaza. Demonstrators claim that arms from the Norwegian-owned company are actively used in the conflict. The protest reportedly concluded peacefully by noon.

Nammo’s spokesperson, Thorstein Korsvold, refuted the claims of collaboration with Israel and characterized the activists’ actions as based on misinformation. He contended that the allegations of recent physical confrontations were unfounded, noting police did not report any such incidents.

The Palestinian Committee highlighted a broader critique, arguing that Norway profits from the conflict by enabling the production of arms. Demonstrators demanded that Nammo halts all sales that contribute to Israel’s military operations and emphasized the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law. They called for strict enforcement of export regulations to prevent weapons from reaching conflict zones via third-party nations.