Swedish climate and political activist Greta Thunberg and activists from Extinction Rebellion take part in an action at the Equinor's oil refinery in Mongstad on August 18, 2025. PAUL S. AMUNDSEN / AFP
Some 200 climate activists including Greta Thunberg of Sweden blocked Norway's largest oil refinery on Monday, August 18 in a protest demanding an end to the country's oil industry, organizers and police said.
Activists from Extinction Rebellion sat on the road, blocking the entrance to the Mongstad refinery in Bergen on Norway's southwestern coast, while kayaks and sailboats obstructed the port's entrance. "We are here because it's crystal clear that there is no future in oil. Fossil fuels lead to death and destruction," Thunberg said in a statement, adding that oil producers like Norway "have blood on their hands." The burning of fossil fuels releases planet-heating carbon emissions.
Police said they were at the scene monitoring the situation from around 9:00 am (0700 GMT). The activists said they plan to continue with a string of protests in Norway throughout the week. The Mongstad refinery is owned by Norwegian oil giant Equinor, which is majority-owned by the Norwegian state. The activists demanded that Norwegian politicians present "a plan to phase out oil and gas."
