This week’s fact check by “Makta” deals a lot with Sami struggle, ear ornaments and the inner life of the Brundtland family. What was the Alta case? The whole of episode seven is about the Alta case. It was a big and bitter political conflict, which recently became relevant again with the film “Let the river live”. Actors Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen and Sofia Jannok in the film about the Alta action from 2023. Photo: Mer Filmdistribujon Simply explained, environmental protection and Sami interests stood against hydropower development of the Alta/Kautokeino watercourse. The development would affect Sami areas and a traditional Sami industry such as reindeer husbandry. There was great opposition to the plans, which developed into a nationwide popular action. There was great interest in the plans to develop the Alta/Kautokeino watercourse. The environmental conflict characterized Norwegian politics for years. Several protesters hunger strike. The police intervened several times to remove protesters by force. In addition, many protesters were fined for civil disobedience. The Alta case was the most extensive civil disobedience action in recent times. Did Alta demonstrations mark the day Gro became prime minister? Yes and no. In the series, we see Gro meet a large press corps and many frustrated protesters outside the Storting, on the day she was on her way to the King to be appointed as the new Prime Minister. It is easy to get the impression that everything happened in one day, and that it was mainly the Alta case that was at issue. In reality, everything happened over several days. The reports in the Norwegian press were mostly about the fact that Norway had had its first female prime minister, at least in the first few days. Actors Ole Nicklas Mienna Guttorm and Ole-Gabriel Buljo in the roles of hunger strikers Mikkel Eira and Ante Gaup. Photo: Motlys The day Gro was appointed was relatively quiet. She met the press after she had a short meeting with the King. Later that week, Gro presented his new government. Then things boiled considerably more in the capital, primarily because a woman was to rule the country. Gro was also much younger than his predecessors, and the newspapers were very concerned about Gro Harlem Brundtland’s popularity. Several hundred people turned up on the castle hill to celebrate the new prime minister. Dagbladet had the headline: A triumphal train in flash and roses. Dagbladet 4 February 1981. Facsimile: Dagbladet / Dagbladet Gro himself writes in the book “Mitt liv” that it was a day of much jubilation, joy and enthusiasm. Having said that, there were also signs against the Alta development in Oslo in front of the Storting. It is also true that Gro met demands from a group of Sami women. Incidentally, it happened on Slottplassen, not in front of the Storting, as in the series. Did Gro get his ears pierced as an adult? In episode seven, we get to see a satisfied Gro fawning in front of the mirror with brand new pierced ears. Did she get her ears pierced as a grown woman? The answer is yes. She herself has described it as a bold choice, since something like that was seen as nonsense and mockery in the family, especially by her mother. That’s why she waited a long time, but in the 80s Gro took the plunge and got her ears pierced. When the mother saw the earrings for the first time, she is said to have reacted with resounding silence and clearly disapproving facial expressions. Gro with earrings in 1998. Did 13 Sami women occupy the prime minister’s office? Early in episode seven, Gro meets a group of Sami women at Løvebakken. Absolutely. Two days after the Brundtland government was presented, 13 Sami women and a five-year-old girl turned up at the office of the new prime minister. The meeting came about after the Sami activists gave Gro flowers and presented their case at Slottsplassen that same week. In reality, the meeting took place at Slottsplassen. Gro received flowers and arranged a meeting with the Sami women. Photo: Bjørn Sigurdsøn / SCANPIX The women wanted Gro to stop the construction work in Alta. When Gro did not promise anything, they decided to occupy the office of the prime minister. As it was in 1981, when several women occupied one of the meeting rooms attached to the Prime Minister’s office. Photo: news The action was picked up by the press. In an interview with news, the women said that they had not received reasonable answers to their questions. Therefore, they wanted to stay in the meeting room to have another meeting with the prime minister. The news broke on news Dagsnytt, which caused protesters to flock to the government quarter to show sympathy for the women. The action eventually became front-page material in several major newspapers. Did they throw slips of paper out the window? Yes, and it was an important move for the women. From the series. One of the campaigners throws pieces of paper out of the window. Photo: MOTLYS / news After Gro had left the office and the Sami women had decided to stay, they had to find a way to communicate. They depended on contact with the demonstrators who sat outside the Storting. The solution was to write secret messages on slips of paper, which they threw out of the window. Ellen Kristine Saba was 5 years old when she helped occupy the Prime Minister’s office. She drew herself through the meeting with Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. Photo: Tom A. Kolstad So that the wind wouldn’t take the pieces of paper, they wrapped the pieces around sugar cubes. One who helped with that was five-year-old Ellen Kristine Saba. She later said that she thought it was exciting to go to Oslo, but that the meeting with the prime minister in particular was boring for a little girl. Did the police wheel the Sami women through the basement? On trolleys? In the series, we see the police take the women from Alta out by force. The women are taken down to the basement under the government quarter, and wheeled out on trolleys. The intention was that the press should not see that they were taken out by force. Did this really happen? From “Makta”. The scene is based on reality, the women were picked up at night and wheeled away by the police. Photo: Motlys – Yes, says director of the episode Elle Márjá Eira. She says that several of the women have said that this is how it was. After 18 hours, the police came and removed them, against their will. – Some were carried out while others were rolled. The corridors were long, and several of the older women had difficulty walking. Director Elle Márjá Eira (second left) guides the actors in “Makta” episode seven. Photo: Wenche Marie Hætta / news The police, for their part, claimed that the women went voluntarily. The press were not allowed to be present, but filmed the police cars driving away with the women inside. news reporter Dan Børge Akerø tells about the Sami protesters who are eased away outside the Government Building. Did Arne Olav really refer to the family as a joint-stock company? It is true! That is, this is how Arne Olav Brundtland jokingly writes about the family in the book “Married to Gro”. When Gro joined the government and eventually became prime minister, she and her husband agreed that he had to organize home life with the children. Or “The Home Front”, as he called it. Actor Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud in the role of Arne Olav Brundtland. Photo: Motlys Humorously, he describes home life as chaotic, until he convened a general meeting at A/S Theodor Løvstads vei 19. That was the address of the family, and everyone was part of the A/S. The whole purpose was to create routines so that the home would be tidy and pleasant. The family introduced an arrangement where everyone was given fixed tasks in the house, with the prime minister ending up with responsibility for cleaning the bathroom. Arne Olav Brundtland is the man who ruled at home, while his spouse ruled Norway. Here he is with Gro during the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. Photo: Heiko Junge / SCANPIX Did Gro state secretary Wiktor Martinsen for Martin? New acquaintance! In episode seven, we meet actor Marius Lien for the first time, in the role of state secretary Wiktor Martinsen. Or Martin, then. Photo: Counter light Sure! Early in episode seven, we see Gro take over as prime minister. Then she greets her new state secretary Wiktor Martinsen and exclaims: “This is going to be fun, Martin!” It is a completely direct quote from how it happened in reality. Wiktor herself has said that she met him saying precisely “this is going to be fun, Martin”. That said, the name confusion doesn’t seem to bother Wiktor Martinsen. Instead, he has said that there was tremendous enthusiasm around Gro, and that she “glowed with courage and desire to work”. How did the Alta case end? After major protests and several rounds in the legal system, the Altaelva was built out. In that sense, you can say that the Sámi and the environmental movement lost the battle. The police remove demonstrators blocking the construction road, in a demonstration to stop the power development in the Alta-Kautokeinovassdraget. Photo: Helge Sunde / Samfoto Nevertheless, the conflict had great significance for the development of Norwegian Sami politics. Among other things, Norway got its own constitutional clause on the Sami language, and in 1989 the Sami Parliament opened. When it comes to the development itself, Gro Harlem Brundtland has later said that the government was wrong in the matter. Source list: Hans Olav Lahlum: Reiulf Steen – the story, the triumphs and the tragedies, Gro Harlem Brundtland: My life: 1939–1986, Steinar Hansson and Ingolf Håkon Teigene: Makt og mannefall – the story of Gro Harlem Brundtland. Arne Olav Brundtland: Married to Gro. Jan Ditlev Hansen: The Storm about Stilla. Store Norske Lexikon, Dagbladet, VG, Altaposten, news. More fact-checking by Makta:
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