“We now experience that there can be doubt about the security in Oslo now and do not understand that the police could be in doubt that this was a big event.” The head of communications in Oslo municipality, Hanne Gjørtz, wrote to communications director Siv Meisingseth in the Oslo police district on 27 June. The text message was sent after the police advised to cancel a support marking on Monday after two people were killed and 21 people injured during the mass shooting in Oslo on the night of Saturday 25 June. Dagbladet first mentioned the text messages. news has also gained insight into the communication between the two after the mass shooting. Recommended cancellation: Thousands attended the Pride Parade on June 25. We were canceled following recommendations from the police. Thousands still gathered in the streets of Oslo to take the route to the canceled pride parade. Before it was known that pride would be canceled, the police informed the communications manager in Oslo municipality about this. Gjørtz replied “it does not sound wise”. SMS correspondence between communications manager in Oslo, Hanne Gjørtz, and Siv Meisingset and in the Oslo police district on Saturday 25 June. Photo: Assembly of Daphe Steketee / Oslo Municipality / news The following Monday, various queer organizations were scheduled to have a celebration at Rådhusplassen. The selection was to consist of speeches and musical elements. – I really want to encourage Oslo people to come here. It is a celebration of solidarity, and we will call around the queer environment, City Councilor Raymond Johansen told news on the Sunday before the planned event. But this event was not over either. The police thought it was not safe The day after, the police advised the organizers to postpone the support marking. – Based on information from PST and that the queer environment is part of the enemy image of extreme Islamists, the police’s clear recommendation is that tonight’s pride event in Oslo is postponed and any other pride event elsewhere in the country is considered postponed until further notice, said Police Director Benedicte Bjørnland. – We have been in contact with the organizer before. Then it was a question of a small marking. Now it has developed into a very large celebration. We recommend that it not be implemented, said Martin Strand, head of joint operational service in the police, to news. Memorial service at Rådhusplassen on Monday 27 June after the terrorist attack in Oslo. Due to an unresolved threat situation, the police earlier in the day issued a recommendation that a pride event in Oslo be canceled as they cannot guarantee safety. Many still chose to show up. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB The cancellation led to strong reactions. – I was very disappointed and surprised that the police try to cancel instead of doing everything they can to protect this important mark of solidarity, wrote one of those who reacted. Following the recommendation from the police, Johansen asked people to follow this advice from the police. – This afternoon, the police have come up with new advice, and ask Oslo Pride to postpone its event at Rådhusplassen tonight. The municipality of Oslo takes note of this, and as city councilor I ask people to follow the police advice, he wrote on Facebook. On text messages, the communication managers discussed how the cancellation was communicated to people. SMS correspondence between communications manager in Oslo, Hanne Gjørtz, and Siv Meisingset and in the Oslo police district. Photo: Oslo Municipality Took a press conference “on fire” The same afternoon, the head of communications in Oslo municipality sent an SMS where she asked herself how the police could be in doubt that the support marking would attract many people. This was said at a press conference that was “kicked off”, Meisingseth explains in the SMS correspondence. Despite the police and the recommendations of the municipality, many people chose to gather for a pride celebration this evening. SMS correspondence between communications manager in Oslo, Hanne Gjørtz, and Siv Meisingset and in the Oslo police district. Photo: Oslo Municipality – A very unresolved situation Communications Director Siv Meisingseth in the Oslo Police District says she has no comment on the text messages beyond the following. – It was a dialogue we had when we were in a very unresolved situation. The police and the municipality usually have a good and open dialogue and this is an example of that, she says. Hanne Gjørtz in Oslo municipality says she has nothing to add about the communication with the police other than that the communication between the police and the municipality is good. – I have a good and open dialogue with the Oslo police district, based on mutual trust, she says. When it comes to the fact that she described the cancellation of pride as unwise, she points out that this SMS was sent early in the morning on Saturday in a relatively confusing situation. – It is of course the police who make assessments of security. I just think it was incredibly sad to right. Many, myself included, had intended to go into pride, and my comment on the cancellation came spontaneously when I received the information from the Oslo police district, says Gjørtz to news.
ttn-69
