Oslo police district handles several demonstrations every week. Sometimes the demonstrators behave in a way that is not compatible with peace, order and security or within the framework of freedom of expression, but according to the police this has not been a problem during the Fosen demonstrations. Strand says that they have had a good dialogue with the Fosen demonstrators. Photo: The police – There have been wise people who have understood where the boundaries are, so that an important message can be conveyed in a good way. That’s what Martin Strand, head of the joint unit for operational service in the Oslo police district, says. Got the message across without fuss Civil disobedience is an offense committed in full transparency. The offense is non-violent and limited to a specific matter. Those who commit civil disobedience must follow all other regulations. If you break the law, and for example do not follow what the police ask you to do, the reaction can be serious. This is how the Justice Museum describes civil disobedience. In connection with the Fosen action in March, the police intervened against civil disobedience and removed activists who blocked the entrance to several ministries. As the capital’s police, the Oslo police district intervenes in many demonstrations and markings, but during the Fosen demonstrations the police saw no reason to equip themselves with helmets and shields. Photo: Dragan Cubrilo / news The police nevertheless felt that the dialogue with the Fosen campaigners was good. – They have conveyed an enormously important message, without creating conflict and noise around it. They have done it in a dignified way and in good dialogue with us, and I think there are others who could have learned a bit from that, says Strand. The police’s neutral role In an SMS to news, Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen writes: – The police behaved nicely and through the failure to prosecute they show that they understand why we are campaigning. – This is precisely why they have not, it seems, wanted to arrest us, and we have had to get used to the fact that we do not know when or if they will arrest us. She does not wish to elaborate further. Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen says that the police have behaved nicely and through the failure to prosecute they show that they understand why they are taking action. Photo: DRAGAN CUBRILO / news Even if the police had to intervene and remove Fosen campaigners who blocked the ministries, the police do not want to fine them for breaking the law this winter. According to Strand, the fact that they are demonstrating against an ongoing human rights violation has not affected how the police handled the situation. – It is very important that we have a neutral approach to those who demonstrate regardless of what message they have, so basically no. – But then it is clear that we also get to know what is going on in society, but the role of the police must be very neutral in such a context, says Strand. Although the police had to intervene and remove Fosen campaigners who blocked the ministries, the police do not want to fine them for breaking the law this winter. Photo: Alf Simensen / Alf Simensen During the last Fosen action in October, the police chose not to arrest the demonstrators, as they found no particular basis for arrests. – Not everyone has a Supreme Court judgment behind them, so that has something to do with our approach. The case has not been fully dealt with The police’s handling of the Fosen campaigners must be seen in the light of a new Supreme Court judgement, which clarifies the framework for freedom of expression and how the police should deal with demonstrations which are basically illegal. This is the opinion of lawyer Olaf Halvorsen Rønning at Elden Advokatfirma, who assists some of the activists. Olaf Halvorsen Rønning believes that the police and the state attorney have taken too long in their decisions. Photo: Elden Advokatfirma / Elden Advokatfirma – It says that if the police choose to break up the demonstration, and there is also a reaction with punishment, then overall this could be such an intrusive measure in the demonstrators’ freedom of expression that it violates human rights. Rønning believes that the police and the state attorney have taken too long in their decisions. – We think this has taken an unnecessarily long time, we believe that the guidelines given by the Supreme Court judgment were relatively clear and that this should be a simple case to decide. – Partly in particular all the time that a number of our clients have been minors when this happened, and then there is a particular requirement for this to go quickly. It is very unfortunate that this has taken so long. Normally, subpoenas are written fairly immediately, but the case is still pending. The public prosecutor aims to complete it in the next few weeks. Beate Brinch Sand says that the failure to prosecute was sent to the Oslo State Prosecutor’s Office on 8 June with a proposal for a failure to prosecute without conditions for all 28 accused. Photo: Anders Fehn / news – In this specific case, the cases were prioritized and investigated quickly, but difficult legal assessments were the reason why the police have spent a little more time, says prosecutor Beate Brinch Sand in the Oslo police district.
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The police believe the Fosend demonstrators behaved well – news Sápmi
