The project, spearheaded by the Nato-aligned manufacturer Chemring Nobel, targets a 22-square-kilometer area already scarred by decades of environmental neglect. Local waters are currently closed to fishing due to high chemical pollution levels, a reality that protesters argue will only worsen with the arrival of a massive industrial complex. The site sits within a region home to 100,000 residents and 53 endangered species, raising alarms over the long-term ecological impact of ramping up military production near the capital.
Activists Occupy Hurummarka to Block Chemring Nobel Explosives Plant
Living in an abandoned shooting range without running water, a group of anonymous activists is staging a defiant protest against a proposed explosives factory in Hurummarka. Their occupation of the Oslo fjord site marks a desperate attempt to halt what would become the largest munitions production facility in Europe.
Members of the group Knus Krigsmaskinen—or 'Crush the War Machine'—contend that the drive for rapid remilitarization following the invasion of Ukraine has silenced dissent. They face a political climate where questioning the expansion of the military-industrial complex is frequently dismissed as naive or treasonous. This tension is heightened by the company's financial ties; Chemring Nobel’s parent firm, UK-based Chemring Group PLC, counts BlackRock as its largest shareholder. The asset manager has faced scrutiny from the United Nations regarding its role in projects linked to the displacement of Palestinians, adding a layer of global geopolitical friction to the local environmental struggle. As Norway’s arms exports hit 800 million euros in 2025, these activists remain the primary obstacle to the factory's feasibility study.
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