– Rest assured that it is safe to travel around the Storting

The police remove the cordons from the area around the Storting. The area is now open to traffic. Photo: Øyvind Tveter

Published: 04/03/2024 10:23 | Updated: 03/04/2024 13:21

The police in Oslo have confirmed that they have received two threats against the Storting. The first was a threat made by email. The police became aware of this last night, but considered it not real.

The assessment changed today when the police received a new threat today. This was presented in a social medium.

Aftenposten has found the message in question that closed the Storting. It was posted by an anonymous user on the forum 4Chan yesterday.

The police have said that it is a bomb threat.

– The police could not take the chance that this was just nonsense, says task leader Svend Bjelland.

After blocking off large areas around the Storting, the police announce at 12.30 that they are opening the area to traffic.

– We are so comfortable that we are taking down the barriers now and normalizing the traffic around the Storting, says task leader Bjelland.

Identified one sender

– We know who made the one threat, and we have control over that person.

It is about the threat that was made via e-mail. The person has not been arrested.

The police have not identified who sent the second threat, but they believe that it is a question of two different people. They do not want to comment on the threat that triggered the police presence.

– The purpose may as well be to get attention, as if there is actually something real in the threat.

It was the Storting itself that discovered the threat that was made in a social medium. This was confirmed by the head of the Storting’s security section, Pål Munck, to Aftenposten.

– It was something we picked up on a social medium that the police have reacted to, says the security chief.

Did a search around the Storting

It was on Wednesday around 10.30 that it became known that there was an unresolved security situation at the Storting.

All employees and shop stewards were informed by SMS that all entrances are closed due to an unclear security situation. No one got in or out.

On Wednesday morning, the police searched a large geographical area around the Storting.

– We must make sure that there is nothing left here that we have not found. It is an uncertainty. That is why we are still here, said task leader Bjelland while the police searched the area.

The police search with a dog around the Storting. Photo: Øyvind Tveter / Aftenposten

Armed police

Heavily armed police, police cars and plainclothes police characterized the street scene around the Storting, while the police searched and secured the building this morning.

The police’s security service (PST) was also connected early on.

– We are working to clarify the threat now and work closely with the Oslo police district, says senior adviser and press contact Martin Bernsen in PST to Aftenposten.

Question time went as normal

When the threat became known, the Storting was in the middle of the weekly question time. Just before 11.30 the meeting ended for the day. It was exactly as planned.

Among the participants in the question time were Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp), Industry Minister Jan Christian Vestre (Ap) and Energy Minister Terje Aasland (Ap).

There was also an audience at the gallery inside the hall.

Aftenposten’s reporter reported to the Storting that the security situation is not particularly noticeable inside the Storting hall.

The Stortings restaurant is open as usual. Pasta bolognese is served there, and there are no signs of panic.

Storting President Masud Gharahkhani (Ap) is also present in the Storting hall while the security situation is unclear. He keeps checking his phone. Photo: Kjetil Alstadheim

– It’s a strange atmosphere, because inside the Storting everything is as usual but outside the window we see heavily armed police, says journalist Odd Inge Aas.

The Minister of Justice says she was informed about the security situation by text message from her ministry, while she was sitting in the parliamentary chamber.

– It is good that action has been taken immediately. It is always unacceptable when there are bomb threats against the Storting and our democracy, Mehl said when she met the press after question time.