The recent developments allow the municipality to order the demolition of our house. This means that we can not exclude an eviction attempt in the next days. Please stay on alert, keep yourself updated, and support if you can.
JOIN OUR EVICTION ALARM GROUP, if you plan to come to the forest and support in case of an eviction attempt
IN CASE OF A POLICE ATTACK, COME TO THE FOREST AND • document and observe the cops • support with music, singing, signs, banners • go for walks in the woods around the AFS to confuse • block the forest roads with cars, sitting blockades or other vehicles • get creative 😉
Remember that being around the camp in the forest is not illegal. The cops might ask you to show ID or temporarily ban you from the area for 72 hours. Until an eviction attempt you can support by joining the AFS, spreading the word, donating money or food.
The Aktivt Forsvart Sone in Hurummarka is under threat of eviction. On Wednesday 11th of November Knus Krigsmaskinen! will come to Oslo to give an infotalk about how to support the AFS before, during and after eviction. A lot of different support is possible and on this evening we will talk together how you can help out. Bring friends and all your questions!
When? 20:00 on Wednesday 11/11 Where? Klostercafe og bar, Oslo
Yesterday, Thursday, November 5, the county council rejected residents’ complaints against the demolition of our cabin in Avgrunnsdalen. This decision removes the last legal obstacles standing in the way of the eviction of AFS, and thus also the removal of the legitimate protest against Chemring’s war factory.
With this decision, the time has come to ramp up the pressure on Aktiv Veidrift AS, Stener Sørensen AS, and Vanebogruppen Miljøsanering—the companies poised to carry out the demolition. We urge all supporters, near and far, to storm these companies. Storm them with banners and paint, with phone calls and emails, with superglue and toothpicks, with flyers and hammers. Storm them until the contracts are canceled. This is not a call to commit any crimes.
Avgrunnsdalen has become a hub for resistance against the explosives factory. Those who want to destroy our home must understand which side of history they are on.
For a world without war and full of responsibility!
We’ll soon be sending out more information about what you can do in the event of a forced eviction.
Below you’ll find a draft email you can send to these companies. KNUS KRIGSMASKINEN!
Dear management and employees,
We are writing to you because we hope you will take a moment to think about what role you can play in what is now happening in Hurummarka.
You are asked to demolish the house in Rædbyveien 43 which activists have used as a symbol of their opposition to the plans for a new weapons factory. For many of us, this is about far more than a house. It is about which direction we want Norway to take.
We believe that the world does not need more weapons, more weapon parts or greater production capacity for war. Every day we see images of civilians affected by armed conflicts – children, families and local communities who lose everything. At the same time, we are in the middle of a natural crisis, where valuable forests and biological diversity are constantly being destroyed.
We therefore ask you to ask yourselves: Must this be your mission? No one can bear responsibility for the world’s conflicts alone. But every company and every person can make choices about what they want to contribute to. By refusing this assignment, you can send a strong signal that conscience and ethical responsibility must sometimes outweigh a contract.
If the demolition is carried out, many will feel that it will become a symbol of economic interests being put before nature conservation, democratic engagement and opposition to increased weapons production. We sincerely hope that you do not want to be remembered for having contributed to this.
We therefore ask you to withdraw from the assignment and let other solutions be considered. It takes courage to say no, but precisely such choices help to define who we are – both as people and as businesses.
We hope you listen to your heart before the excavators are started. With hope for consideration and humanity,
Greetings, one of many who want to preserve Hurummarka and work for a more peaceful future.
After stormy days with a lot of rain, fog and flood in Avgrunnsdalen, the sun now reveals the aftermath – a big ship mast is now stuck on the roof, a sailboat is hanging in the trees and lovely pirates are glad they found land here in the abyss-valley and are now exploring the treasures of the old-growth forest in Hurummarka.
And from the mast on the house they call to action! Join the global day of action to shut down the war machine on Oct. 30th. Dockworkers around the world will strike and refuse to handle military cargo and weapons destined for israel’s genocidal machine.
Let’s not forget that Chemring Nobel already has a war factory at Sætre where they ship out high explosives for the Hellfire missiles that israel is using on palestinians. This needs to be stopped!
Get creative! The war machine relies on many players in and around Oslo, from Kongsberg Gruppen, Nammo, GKN, Kitron, Rheinmetall Nordic, Norconsult, Forsvarsdepartementet, the Oil Fund etc.
or just print out our poster and tape it up in your city! #KnusKrigsmaskinen #NoHarbour4Genocide
On the misty Saturday morning, in front of the governement building in Olso, some of us from Knus Krigmaskinen! took part in the protest against the Chemring Nobel factory. Organized by Folkeaksjonen, with the help of 25 organizations, we stood up against the destruction of the forest.
We held a speech, from which we wrote an excerpt below:
Click to expand
We are Knus Krigsmaskinen!
Since April we are living in Hurummarka to defend this beautiful forest against the government and Chemring’s death plans. We inhabit a valley called Avgrunnsdalen located within the factory planning area, and we live in an abandoned cabin, several tree houses, and an old tower.
As with many of the affected locals, we are angry at the government’s attempts to conceal their lies through a familiar play of sham democracy. The entire planning process around Chemring’s new factory has been shady from the start. The reports about the factory’s location and ecological impacts were ordered, financed, and internally conducted by Chemring itself. The Norwegian minister of climate and environment had to declare himself disqualified in all cases related to Chemring due to his close personal ties. And Asker kommune’s energy infrastructure expansion plans already now includes the new factory, as if it was officially decided.
And when there is resistance, they try to silence it. As a latest proof of this, we were subjected to an excessive police operation under the guise of seeking dialogue. How often do you show up armed, 10-20 of you with 2 helicopters and hope for dialogue?
Our struggle against this factory is not an isolated struggle; it is part of a global struggle against militarization and every one who profits on it. Even if this factory was to be built elsewhere, or built more “sustainably”, it would still kill and devastate where its bombs are dropped. As long as the system is built on the profits generated through production of weapons, there will be no end to wars. As long as the system is built on the exploitation of workers and ecosystems, there will be no social or ecological justice. As long as weapons manufacturers like Nammo or Kongsberg Gruppen sponsor our sportsclubs, there will be no peace.
The Government remains the servant and gendarme of the war profiteers. Therefore, it is not enough to demand change from politicians. We can not dismantle the master’s house with the master’s tools. In order to end wars, genocides, and ecological havoc, we must take direct action against the structures that create and uphold them.
In Avgrunnsdalen we established an AFS (Aktivt Forsvart Sone), which means that we inhabit parts of the forest to psychically prevent its destruction. We grow relationships based on mutual aid and solidarity with the locals. We build a community centered around a culture of resistance and nourish meaningful relations to a forest which does not matter in the capitalist system.
The police operation two weeks ago made clear, that the pressure on us in increasing. We might be evicted any day. So we need you! Come and help us to defend Hurummarka! Let’s show them together that the forest wants to live. You can support us materially, or even better: join us in the forest and get a glance of what a life in resistance can be.
Yesterday, the court processes of 26 people who tried to defend Riehpovuotna against the construction of a copper mine started. Our solidarity goes out to each and every one of the 29. But importantly, we also stand in solidarity with those who have decided to not go to court. You are not alone and we care for you, even if your face does not appear in the media. Please let us know if we can support you in any way.
In connection to this, a remindee of our weekly Sápmi evening, tomorrow at 20:00. We want to read and discuss together the zine ‘Nussir is a mountain, not a mine’. Join us to learn more about Sámi struggles and ongoing Norwegian colonialism.
The activists living in the Activt Forsvart Sone in Avgrunnsdalen have invited seksjon for arkeologi i askerhus fylkeskommune (The askerhus municipality archaeology dpt.) to a panel discussion on Tuesday, 27.10, at 17 o’clock at the occupied cabin. The theme will be “keeping each other safe”. Everyone is invited to listen to and participate in the debate at Rødbyveien 43.
“Anyone is welcome here, except for police of course! Their last visit has been a rather unpleasant experience”, writes the group. By this they are referring to 4 helicopter deployments from the police in the past week, the latest and biggest one happening on Thursday. According to the police, work cars of askerhus fylkekommune had been damaged.
“What we have stated here and previously is that we consider it legitimate to oppose any company working for Chemring and the government to build the weapons factory. We haven’t slashed any tires, but we do not condemn the ways in which other people choose to express their opposition to the weapons factory. Thousands of people are rightly angry that a British company is going to manufacture military explosives for the U.S. and Israel, destroy Hurummarka, pollute the Oslo Fjord, turn the peninsula into a bombing target—and that all of this is being carried out in a democratic skim process.”
However, knus krigsmaskinen! has blocked the archeologists from continuing their assessment by sitting around their holes. The combination of these different types of action has brought an stop to the explorations for now due to safety concerns.
Knus Krigsmaskinen! considers their invitstion for dialogue part of creating a safe environment. They write: “To ensure a proceeding that is truely safe for everyone; including Oslofjord, workers in the factory, people living nearby, and those Chemring’s bombs will be dropped on; we have invited seksjon for arkeologi for a debate on ‘keeping each other safe’. Until then, we will not tolerate any work connected to the war factory in the forest, as it is not possible to have an open conversation after probes have already been taken.”
Seksjon for arkeologi has not yet responded to the invitation.
The date for the podium has been set with a week to spare to allow locals, supporters and archeologists to develop informed positions. For that knus krigsmaskinen! has prepared an extensive program:
Wednesday, 21.10., at 8pm: open mic to share thoughts about saftey, Chemring and the world. Poetry, laughter and children are welcome (lillr lørsdag)
Thursday, 22.10., at 8pm: informative evening about colonialisation of Sapmi
Saturday, 24.10., at 4pm: gathering to make plans to further defend Hurummarka against Chemring
Saturday, 24.10., 5pm: concert by Being a Monkey, Urokråke, Valerie, Rio/Ria
