A man set himself on fire on today outside an Oslo courthouse where the Norwegian mass killer Anders Behring Breivik is on trial for murdering 77 people last July, police said.
The man doused himself with liquid and set himself on fire before attempting to breach the security fence around the courthouse, police spokesman Kjell Kverme said.
The national daily VG posted a video on its website, vg.no, showing the man with flames on his hat and sweatshirt running toward a security checkpoint and being tackled by police.
Officers ripped his sweatshirt off and stamped out the flames. Mr Kverme said the man, who appeared to be a Norwegian, had shouted at police before setting himself on fire but officers could not make out what he said.
The man, who witnesses said appeared to be Caucasian and in his 50s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries on his torso.
Breivik (33) has been on trial since last month for bombing government offices in an attack that killed eight people, then shooting dead 69 more, most of them teenagers, at a Labour Party island summer camp.
He admits carrying out the killings but has said they were necessary to protect Norway against "traitors" who deserved death for embracing left-wing values including immigration and multiculturalism.
Last week the brother of a man gunned down by Breivik hurled a shoe at him in court.
Reuters