At Menstad, where Hydro had warehouses and shipping facilities, the company contended that it had the right to continue shipments from the warehouses using temporary personnel who were not part of the lockout. Strikers considered this strikebreaking and protests resulted.

Clash

There was a demonstration on 2 June, and Hydro's management was not satisfied with the efforts of local police. Workers had broken through police lines into the Menstad facility. Temporary workers were brought out into a ring of demonstrators. They had to run the gauntlet through the crowd to get away.

Per Ole Johansen recounts what happened in his book on the Menstad conflict:

"The conflict culminated 8 June with 2,000 workers marching out to Menstad. Several were armed with staffs. Demonstrators chose a negotiating committee to contact the police. They did not, however intend to give in if the police refused to negotiate."

Both sides knew a fight was looming. It wasn't a matter of if, but when. Stones were thrown and the police responded with water hoses and batons. But it was over in five minutes, and the demonstrators beat the policemen who hadn't managed to get away.

Consequences

The episode was serious and had both legal and political ramifications, as well as attracting a lot of attention. The Farmer's Party government (with Vidkun Quisling as defense minister) sent a large military force to the area, while the conservative press called for a crackdown. The unions refused to cooperate with the police and soldiers.