The case in summary: • Two 17-year-olds are charged with attempted murder and hate crime against two men in their 20s in Oslo. • The knife attack has caused great unrest among queers in Oslo, and many feel unsafe. • The city council leader has invited several queer organizations and the police to a crisis meeting to discuss how the city can be perceived as safe again. • Salam Norway and the Support Group 25 June believe that attitude campaigns should be strengthened to prevent such incidents in the future. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Two years after the terrorist attack on the London Pub, it felt safer in Oslo again. Then two men in their 20s were attacked with a knife and had homophobic remarks hurled at them. Now several queer organizations are telling about unrest and fear in the environment. Because the incident is not the only one. The police have seen an increase in the number of hate crime reports over the past year. – It is not always safe to be queer, not even in Oslo, says Marianne Gulli, head of Fri Oslo og Viken. Now the city council leader has invited several queer organizations and the police to a meeting. The goal is to get answers to how Oslo can once again be experienced as a safe city for queers. AFFECTS MANY: – An incident like the stabbing, of course, affects everyone who is queer, says Marianne Gulli, leader of Fri Oslo og Viken. Photo: Petter Ruud-Johansen These are among the invitees: Queiv Verden Queiv ungdom FRI Oslo and Viken Salam Norway Support group 25 June The Committee for Gender and Sexuality Diversity Oslo Police – An insanely terrifying experience news has contacted several of the organizations before today’s meeting. They have clear expectations of both the police and the city council leader. – We hope we will get an update from the police on what they are doing, says Espen Evjenth, chairman of the Support Group on 25 June. He says that the group has been in contact with the victims after the stabbing. – We will only make ourselves available if there is something we can do. It is primarily these two who have had an insanely terrifying experience. It’s really sad, he says. SUPPORT: Chairman of the Support Group on 25 June, Espen Evjenth has been in contact with the victims after the stabbing at Tjuvholmen. – We want to stand up for them too. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news After the knife attack, the police charged two 17-year-olds with attempted murder and grievous bodily harm. They are also charged with hate crimes. In addition, a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old have been arrested in the case. No charges have been brought against them because they are under the age of criminal responsibility. The association Fri does not believe that such incidents occur out of nowhere. That the accused are children who are let down by society. Hope the police actually do something – I would like to listen to what politicians and the police have to say, says Thee Yezen Al-Obaide, assistant general secretary of Salam Norway. He says he goes into the meeting with an open mind. But he does not hide that he has little faith that anything will be done. – We have talked about what can make us feel safer in our cities before, without anything happening. Al-Obaide is one of those who has experienced hate crime on his body before. He wants the police to turn words into action and solve hate crime cases instead of closing the door. – Maybe we can start there, that the police can use more resources and more time to solve a case, than what they are doing now, he says. Thee Yezen Al-Obaide, assistant general secretary of Salam Norway wants more action and fewer words. Photo: Bård Nafstad / news Attitude campaigns should be strengthened Both Salam and the Support Group on 25 June agree that attitude campaigns are needed. The support group already has a project where they are creating learning resources about the terrorist attack in 2022. Measures that can help prevent hate crime, they believe. – Then we just hope that the politicians know their visiting hours and help finance it, says Evjenth. Salam, like the Support Group on 25 June, has its own school scheme, which they have also received good feedback on. – We go on school visits, where we talk about what it’s like to be queer with a Muslim background in Norway. Both in our cities, but also in the larger society. Project that should be strengthened, says Al-Obaide. He is curious ahead of the meeting and wonders what the municipality will contribute. – I also hope that politicians will come up with solutions themselves, and not just expect us to do their job, he says. Published 16.08.2024, at 07.26 Updated 16.08.2024, at 07.48
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Crisis meeting with queer organizations after the stabbing of a gay couple in Oslo – Greater Oslo
