Norway has been the site of a flurry of Palestine solidarity activism and BDS initiatives over the past week, as tens of thousands of people have called for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Oslo, and major trade unions are mobilizing in support of a comprehensive boycott and divestment campaign.
Demonstrations have now been held in at least 28 cities: Oslo, Stavanger, Sandnes, Fredrikstad, Trondheim, Hamar, Sortland, Namsos,
Arendal, Norheimsund, Mosjøen, Bergen, Sarpsborg, Tønsberg, Harstad, Tromsø, Kristiansand, Notodden, Vadsø, Mo i Rana, Alta, Kirkenes, Røros, Volda, Halden, Gjøvik, Lillehammer, Selbu.
The number of participants has never been bigger. Union activities are listed below:
POLITICAL STRIKE: On Thursday, all trains in Norway and all trams and subways in Oslo will stand still for two minutes as part of a political strike organized by the Norwegian Locomotive Union and the Oslo Tram Workers Union in protest of the Israeli invasion of Gaza.
A large selection of Norwegian trade unions and organizations has endorsed a new campaign for the withdrawal of all State investments in Israel. Six of the largest national trade unions have supported the call so far.
The Union of Trade and Office Workers calls on all members to ask their employers to remove Israeli products from stores. It is the by far largest union of workers in all types of private and public stores in Norway.
The Confederation of Norwegian Trade Unions (LO), with an estimated 20 per cent of the whole Norwegian population as members, condemns the Israeli bombing and invasion in Gaza and calls for demonstrations.
The Norwegian Church has protested Israel's invasion of Gaza and was, according to media, "called to the carpet" by the Israeli ambassador.
22,000 support the Facebook group demanding the ambassador be expelled from Norway. The Group has received attention from all major newspapers and was hacked by a Zionist hacker group but is now back on track.
31% of Norwegians support the boycott of Israel, in a survey by the pro-Israel tabloid VG today. The question was politically charged: "Do you support the Socialist Left's boycott of Israel?" If not mentioning the Socialists, the number would probably be much higher. The vast majority of all groups in the survey are against the Israeli invasion of Gaza.