Today, Thursday, September 10, Asker Municipality discussed its position regarding the expansion of the Chemring Nobel factory in Hurummarka.
Outside the municipal offices in Røyken, around 40 people gathered to protest against this expansion plan. Together with Folkeaksjonen for Hurummarka (Grassroots Action for Hurummarka) and other local residents, the group “Knus Krigsmaskinen!” (Crush the War Machine!) made it clear once again: Chemring Nobel is already participating in colonial and genocidal wars, while simultaneously heavily polluting the area around the Oslo Fjord and poisoning and destroying vital ecosystems. Permitting this expansion would further exacerbate these problems and – contrary to most Norwegians’ self-image – reinforce Norway’s role in the global arms race.
In its statement today, Asker Municipality chose not to shoulder its responsibility to oppose this obviously harmful project. Instead, they are advising the state to push through the expansion plans, thereby becoming complicit in genocide and ecocide.
They are already working toward this complicity by using every possible means to demolish the house in Avgrunnsdalen. Although Akershus County Municipality recommended this week that “usable buildings should not be demolished,” Asker Municipality appears ready to spend 1.2 million [kroner] to tear down a house inhabited by activists. This is clearly a political decision that the municipality attempted to slip through under the guise of a building permit matter. Further details on this can be found below.
Today has shown that “Knus Krigsmaskinen!” stands shoulder to shoulder with Folkeaksjonen and other local groups, and together we will crush the war machine!
Crush the War Machine!
More information:
New findings on all fronts and something fishy going on in the Hurum area
Several things don’t add up regarding the demolition of the house in Avgrunnsdalen. The demolition job in Avgrunnsdalen was commissioned for 1.2 million – six days before the permit was actually issued – through a process that appears to have been pre-approved. It was scheduled to take place as quickly as possible right after the holidays, with private security hired in case there was “some unpleasant attention surrounding this” (according to Petter von Malchus at Aktiv Veidrift AS).
Spending 1.2 million to demolish a house occupied by activists is a political decision that the municipality tried to sneak through as a routine building matter. In April, the Municipal Director stated:
“Given the political nature of the case, the Municipal Director believes the correct approach is to limit the response to outlining the alternatives” (regarding how to deal with us).
In his latest letter to the County Governor, he states:
“In the Municipal Director’s assessment, this is therefore a demolition case that touches upon an ongoing public debate, but not a demolition case that in itself entails such fundamental or political considerations that the decision should have been made by an elected body.”
So, this is a demolition case that suddenly arose after the house had stood empty for two years – occurring just months after we occupied the house, and in an area where an explosives factory is planned for the future. Akershus County Municipality, however, holds the view that “in general, we recommend that usable buildings not be demolished, from a resource perspective.”
New archaeological findings subject to automatic preservation
On May 4, 2026, Akershus County Municipality wrote to Chemring Nobel – with copies to Forsvarsbygg (the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency) and Asker Municipality – stating that the archaeological survey of the planned site for the new explosives factory had identified three sites dating back to the Early Stone Age. There may be more, yet we find no statement from Asker Municipality regarding these discoveries.
According to Chemring Nobel itself, soil investigations using a tracked drilling rig began at the site on September 4, 2026, even though there is no documentation confirming whether the survey of the rest of the area has been completed.
Many processes have been set in motion to create the impression that the factory’s location has not yet been decided. But we shouldn’t be surprised when the process suddenly kicks into high gear overnight. The war economy has no time to lose; it cares nothing for lives, nature, or a future, livable world.
We continue the fight against Multiconsult, Norconsult, the State, Chemring, and Asker Municipality.
Smash the war machine!