On June 26, 2022, an article was posted by BBC covering a memorial service
held at Oslo Cathedral to remember the victims of a shooting incident in a gay bar. Two
people died and 21 were fatally wounded in an attack police are saying was an “act of
Islamist terrorism.”
Due to this, Oslo’s Pride parade, scheduled for that Saturday was canceled.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said calling it off did not deter the fight
“against discrimination, prejudices, and hate.” Stoere described how thousands of
people had gathered on the city’s streets waving rainbow flags and laying flowers at the
scene of the violence. Many shed tears and were comforted by other bystanders.
“Bullets cannot kill love,” said the head of the Norwegian Protestant Church, Olav
Fykse Tveit. He acknowledged that the church had opposed equal rights for same-sex
couples for years. In response, he said, “We see that we can learn, sometimes in spite
of ourselves, that diversity is a present, a richness, and that many homosexuals have a
capacity for love that we are incapable of.”
An eyewitness told Norway’s public broadcaster NRK that he had stepped on the
shooter’s weapon while he was restrained. He said the situation was chaotic. As the
shooter was being tackled by four people, his gun was still on the ground. “My thought
then was to run and stand on it, so that no one would come.” the witness told NRK.
The shooting suspect, Zaniar Matapour, was a 42-year-old Norwegian man of
Iranian descent known to the security services. He has been charged with murder,
attempted murder, and terrorism. “There is reason to think that this may be a hate
crime,” police said. “We are investigating whether Pride was a target in itself or whether
there are other motives.”
A lesbian who lived next door to Mr. Matapour told NRK it was eerie to find out
that he lived so close to her. When asked whether the shooting had ruined Pride, she
replied: “Our case is strengthened – not his.”
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61941172
held at Oslo Cathedral to remember the victims of a shooting incident in a gay bar. Two
people died and 21 were fatally wounded in an attack police are saying was an “act of
Islamist terrorism.”
Due to this, Oslo’s Pride parade, scheduled for that Saturday was canceled.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said calling it off did not deter the fight
“against discrimination, prejudices, and hate.” Stoere described how thousands of
people had gathered on the city’s streets waving rainbow flags and laying flowers at the
scene of the violence. Many shed tears and were comforted by other bystanders.
“Bullets cannot kill love,” said the head of the Norwegian Protestant Church, Olav
Fykse Tveit. He acknowledged that the church had opposed equal rights for same-sex
couples for years. In response, he said, “We see that we can learn, sometimes in spite
of ourselves, that diversity is a present, a richness, and that many homosexuals have a
capacity for love that we are incapable of.”
An eyewitness told Norway’s public broadcaster NRK that he had stepped on the
shooter’s weapon while he was restrained. He said the situation was chaotic. As the
shooter was being tackled by four people, his gun was still on the ground. “My thought
then was to run and stand on it, so that no one would come.” the witness told NRK.
The shooting suspect, Zaniar Matapour, was a 42-year-old Norwegian man of
Iranian descent known to the security services. He has been charged with murder,
attempted murder, and terrorism. “There is reason to think that this may be a hate
crime,” police said. “We are investigating whether Pride was a target in itself or whether
there are other motives.”
A lesbian who lived next door to Mr. Matapour told NRK it was eerie to find out
that he lived so close to her. When asked whether the shooting had ruined Pride, she
replied: “Our case is strengthened – not his.”
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61941172
