The case in summary: Hamse Ali was assaulted by six men in Nygårdsparken in Bergen on 21 September. The men shouted racist slurs at him. Over 2,000 people took part in a demonstration against racism in Bergen as a reaction to the attack. City council representative for the Labor Party in Bergen, Amina Ali Amin, and fire captain Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen were among those who took part in the demonstration. Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery was outraged by the attack, and emphasized that racist violence is unacceptable. Møhlenpris resident Synnøve Fluge and the football club FK Djerv took the initiative to organize the commemoration. The Antiracist Center reports an increase in hate crime reports in Norway, with 1,090 reports in 2023, an increase of 18 percent from the previous year. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. On 21 September, Hamse Ali was on his way home from the city after a party with the football team. Just before he was home, he was attacked by six men in Nygårdsparken at Møhlenpris in Bergen. The men shouted racist slurs such as “fucking black,” according to Ali. This has created many reactions and great commitment in Bergen. On Thursday, over 2,000 turned up for a torchlight procession and demonstration against racism in the city. This photo was taken at the emergency room after the violence in Nygårdsparken. Photo: PRIVAT – Racism comes in many forms One of those who showed up at the commemoration is Amina Ali Amin, who is a city council representative for the Labor Party in Bergen. – This warms my heart. This is where the whole of Bergen meets to mark their stand against hate crime. No person should be discriminated against because of their background, says city council representative for the Labor Party, Amina Ali Amin. Photo: Christel / Higraff Amin tells him that she herself has also been exposed to racism. – Racism comes in many forms, such as harassment, microaggressions and violence. I have never been subjected to violence, but I have felt the fear, says Amin. Hamse Ali himself has not wanted to make a statement in connection with the marking. “No racism in our streets” was the message from those present. Photo: Christel Higraff / news Strong reaction One of the others who took part in tonight’s demonstration is Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen. The fire captain has known Ali since childhood. – My heart ached and my stomach ached, he says of what he felt when he heard about the incident. Fire captain Fredrik Pallesen Knudsen was heartbroken when he heard about the incident. Photo: Steffen Johan Johnstad / news Pallesen also held an appeal during the evening’s event. He thinks it is terrible that something like this could happen in 2024, but praises the commitment that has been shown in retrospect. – You see that there are many people who take Hamse to heart and want to show that racism does not belong here, he says. People of all age groups participated in the torchlight procession. Photo: Christel Higraff / news Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery (Ap) says that she is not surprised by the attack, but that she is upset and angry. – No one should feel insecure about who they are. We can disagree, but resorting to violence and racist violence is unacceptable, says the Bergen resident. Distinct local environment Møhlenpris resident Synnøve Fluge took the initiative to organize the commemoration together with the football club FK Djerv. She says that the neighborhood reacts strongly to what happened to Ali. Synnøve Fluge has spoken to Hamse Ali daily after the incident. Photo: Steffen Johan Johnstad / news – It’s like you almost don’t believe it’s true. I know through conversations with Hamse and others that structural racism occurs. But also verbal and physical racism, even in our city. – It affects us all. It has something to do with how we talk to our children about how they should move around the district, says Fluge. Nygårdsparken has had several challenges over many decades, according to Fluge. – That is one of the reasons why we want to go to Nygårdsparken on Thursday. It’s a bit to take the park back. Increase in hate crime reports – We have seen racially motivated acts with horrific tragic outcomes and feel that history is repeating itself. We are very concerned, says political adviser and lawyer Sonia Nemati at the Antiracist Centre. The Antiracist Center is not surprised by the incident in Nygårdsparken. They say that this is part of a trend they have seen over time. It was here that Hamse Ali was attacked on his way home from the city. Photo: Steffen Johan Johnstad – Our experience is that there is a lot of racist incitement and harassment out in the streets and on social media now, she says. In 2023, 1,090 hate crime reports were registered in Norway. This is an increase of 18 percent from the previous year. This is shown in the police’s report on hate crime in Norway from 2023. 46 per cent of reports are based on skin color or ethnic origin. From 2018 to 2023, there was a 35 per cent increase in the number of reviews based on skin color or ethnicity. Published 03.10.2024, at 19.12 Updated 03.10.2024, at 22.35
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Organizes large demonstration against racism in Bergen after serious violence against Hamse Ali – news Vestland
