Investigation into attack on LGBT bar in Oslo: two dead
There are two dead and more than 20 injured. Pride celebrations in Oslo were canceled, but people still took to the streets to protest the violence.
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Early this morning, under circumstances that are being investigated, a man opened fire on the exterior of a bar, Per på hjørnet, and an adjacent LGBT nightclub, the London Pub, in the heart of Oslo, hours before Pride celebrations taking place today in the streets of many countries around the world. “We have confirmed two deaths and 21 injuries following the shooting,” police in Oslo reported. They added that the perpetrator was arrested a few minutes later.
According to police, the suspect is a 42-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian origin with a history of minor offenses. They believe the attacker acted alone. He is charged with homicide and terrorism, said the head of the investigation, Christian Hatlo, at a press conference.
The London Pub is a gay bar in the Norwegian capital. Olav Roenneberg, a journalist with the Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, was at the scene and recounted seeing someone arrive, pull a gun from a bag, and start shooting. "At first I thought it was an air pistol. Then the window of the bar next door shattered, and I realized I had to run for cover."
Many people told the media that they hid in the basement or on other floors, panicked by the fear of a massacre.
“Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said on Twitter . Some lines of inquiry have suggested it was an Islamic terrorist attack.
“On this day we should be celebrating love. We were going to paint the streets with rainbow colors. We were supposed to show our community and our freedom. Instead, we are filled with sadness,” Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere posted on Facebook.
The government's security committee, he reported, met today and was briefed on the situation. “The police have used all available resources and are now working intensively on the investigation. The threat level has been raised to level 5, the highest level. This is because we are in an unclear situation,” he said, alluding to the possibility that it was an Islamist attack.
“It is important for me to emphasize that if this is Islamic terrorism, as the police indicate, many Muslims will feel exposed today and in the time to come. And I know that many Muslims are also scared and desperate. So it is our shared responsibility to make it clear that no one but him or those behind the attack is responsible for it. Let there be no doubt: We are one community. We are a diverse and strong community,” the prime minister said.
Pride was cancelled, but people still took to the streets
The attack led to the cancellation of today's planned activities. " Oslo Pride has received a recommendation from the police to cancel the Pride parade and any other events related to Oslo Pride."
“We will follow the police’s advice and look out for each other. We send our warmest thoughts and love to the families, the injured, and all those affected. We will soon be proud and visible again, but today we will share our Pride celebrations from home,” said Inger Kristin Haugsevje, an Oslo Pride activist, and Inge Alexander Gjestvang, of FRI – the Norwegian Organization for Sexual and Gender Diversity.
Despite the cancellation of official events, thousands of people took to the streets of Oslo today, waving rainbow flags and colors, to show solidarity and reject the violence. "We are here, we are here, we will not disappear," they chanted.
Norway has had a marriage equality law since 2009 and in 2016 allowed the change of gender identity.
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