– We cannot allow it to be quiet – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country

– Rather than crushing me, what happened sparked a glow in me. Two months have passed since Espen Aleksander Evjenth was shot. Two months have passed since he, from the hospital bed, tired and full of painkillers, wrote an article about unity and love in response to the attack in central Oslo. His message was published in several of the country’s newspapers. Then there was silence. Evjenth needed time to recover and to reflect on what had happened. Now he is ready to speak again. – We cannot allow it to be quiet. If we are to move forward, we have to keep the case alive, we have to talk about it, and that is why I am here today, he says. In the hands of strangers The fact that Evjenth is here today is also due to a good dose of luck in accidents, he believes. Some would call it angel guard. He was in a London pub on the night of June 25, and had just gone out on the dance floor when everything went black. – I barely manage to make the first move before I am hit in the forehead with what I thought was an anvil, says Evjenth. – I manage to think “who was that”, before I pass out and fall to the ground. Then I wake up again to find my boyfriend calling my name. I don’t understand anything, then someone tells me I’ve been shot. Evjenth was shot in the left side of the forehead. The bullet was operated on the same night. Photo: Private A bullet has gone through the window and hit Evjenth in the head. The bullet has penetrated the skull on the left side of the forehead. Some people stay behind to look after him. There are several of them he does not know, including two nurses celebrating pride. They ask his name, what he had for breakfast, and try to keep him awake. – The vast majority have gone their separate ways out of fear for their own safety, so it is insanely touching that these people are there and take care of me in the chaotic and unclear situation that was. Evjenth is eventually transported to Oslo University Hospital. The ball is operated on, and the head is patched together. On the first day at the hospital, Evjenth makes two choices. – One was that I had been lucky. You could say I was unlucky to be where I was and was hit by a bullet through a window, but it’s crazy that it went well. The other choice he made was to try his best not to be afraid. – I think I have succeeded quite well with that. I don’t think it pays to be afraid to be yourself, he says. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING NOW: – We cannot allow it to be quiet. Photo: David Skovly / news Lucky and fearless? Some would say that Espen is lucky. He survived. He experienced an enormous amount of love: on the dance floor, in the hospital bed and afterwards. The bookshelf at home is full of proof of that. He got the teddy bear “Teddy Mercury” from a friend who came to visit, and poems have been written for him about why he is important. It’s harder not to be afraid. Evjenth has great respect for the fact that many people in the queer environment feel insecure today. Fear is not something you can control, he admits. – I think there are many people who have developed a fear in them because of what happened, he says. – You become aware that there are people who do not wish you well, and who think you are wrong. It is something we must avoid, and something we must prevent. Espen Evjenth got this teddy bear when he was in the hospital. It has been given the name “Teddy Mercury”, and a place of honor on the bookshelf. Photo: David Skovly / news One of the things he himself fears is that the attack will lead to increased racism and xenophobia. That the story of what happened to him will create division. – It is very important to have unity and to care for each other now. It is very important to express good attitudes. For Evjenth, unity is the answer to many things. He grew up without queer role models and meeting places, and became concerned with creating this himself when he became active and eventually a leader in Keiv Ungdom. He was there between 2009 and 2011. – The meeting places and events that we have built year after year are there for a reason. They are important. Unity is important, solidarity is important, and that’s what pride is all about. – Bottoms in outsidership After he was shot, Evjenth is more concerned with focusing also on the opposite: Outsidership. Although much is still unclear about the motive and background of the perpetrator, Evjenth himself has made up his mind. – I believe that the type of violent extremism that we were exposed to in London on 25 June is rooted in alienation and mental illness. There will often be a hint of religious or political fanaticism in an act of terrorism, he says and continues: – But if you yourself think you have a meaningful and good life, it takes a lot for you to take a machine gun with you into town and go to attack people. He will not apologize for his actions. Evjenth believes that everyone has their own responsibility to prevent their own alienation. At the same time, society must ensure that there are good and safe communities for everyone, he says. – It is a collective responsibility to ensure that the world is like that, and then it is an individual responsibility to try to find the positive. It exists out there. Espen Evjenth had just gone out onto the dance floor on the second floor of the London pub. Then he was shot in the head. Photo: Louise Scharff Thommessen / news



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