They were challenging the turbines in the Fosen region of western Norway which were still in operation on reindeer herding land despite a landmark court ruling more than a year ago.

Climate activists expanded their protest blocking access to the energy ministry to include the finance ministry.

“Today, we are shutting down the state, ” said Ella Marie Haetta Isaksen, a Sami musician and activist.

An indigenous minority of around 100,000 people spread over the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia, the Sami have traditionally lived off reindeer herding and fishing.

This morning, Norwegian police forcibly removed a dozen activists from one of the ministry’s entrances.

The protests came over a year after Norway’s highest court unanimously ruled that the expropriation and operating permits for the construction of the 151 turbines were invalid.

However, they gave no guidance on what should be done with the turbines, which were already in operation.

The Norwegian authorities have so far held off taking action and ordered further assessments, hoping to find a way that the turbines and Sami people can coexist.