OSLO, Norway, May 23 (UPI) -- Norwegians, who now pay more at the pump than any other drivers in Europe, have begun to push back against high gas prices.
Last week, 67,000 people, in a country with a population of less than 5 million, joined an Internet protest, Aftenposten reported Friday. They threatened a boycott of Norway's two largest chains of gas stations, Statoil and Shell.
Norway is a major oil producer and benefits from skyrocketing prices for crude. Most of the cost of a gallon of gas goes to the government, the result of a policy aimed at keeping car ownership low.
But drivers tend to blame the oil companies, including Statoil, which is owned by the state, for soaring prices. Norwegian motorists are now paying the equivalent of $11 per gallon to fill up.
