Country declares 'state of emergency', imposes curfew

The oil-producing Nordic nation has seen an influx of visitors since it abandoned Covid restrictions last year.

But the revelry has grown increasingly raucous and disruptive, with busloads of young people from other countries gathering to celebrate.

Police have struggled to control the crowds, and the government said it had
imposed the curfew and declared the state of emergency.

Justice Minister Monica Mæland said the situation was unsustainable and
called it a humanitarian crisis.

Authorities will close schools and
nightclubs, and restrict the sale of alcohol.

The prime minister will hold a press conference later on the issue.

Neither the prime minister's office nor the justice ministry responded to requests for comment on whether the measures would be permanent.

Busloads of partygoers descend on cities

Every year, Norwegian newspapers run stories about the so-called
"bus babies" – teenagers who arrive in cities such as Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim in
coaches and make a lot of noise.

But this year the phenomenon has become much bigger, with an estimated 100,000 young people – many of them Swedish – arriving in Oslo alone between
Thursday and Sunday.

Police in Oslo have described the situation as
unmanageable, while shopkeepers have complained of the havoc caused by the
youths.

There are also growing complaints that Norwegians are being
sidelined in their own country, with many hotels and campsites fully
booked by foreign youth groups.

Many of the visitors are believed to be
sailing in on cruise ships, with chaperones but no structured programming.