Attack on queer club in Norway

It's the place to go for queers in Oslo who feel like partying: The London Pub. On the weekend a man shot around here. Numerous people were injured. Two of them died. The current suspicion is that it was a terrorist attack. The fact that it took place on the weekend in question is probably no coincidence. The CSD weekend in Norway was in full swing.
Shortly after the attack, the man tried to flee. However, he could be caught by the police. It was not long before there was talk of "Islamist terrorism". However, it is also clear that much remains to be clarified about the facts of the case.

Attack on queer club in Norway

The London Pub is in shock

The London Pub is one of the most popular places for queers in all of Norway. Parties have been held here for decades. After the terrifying event here, all other events of the CSD weekend, including the parade, were also canceled.

Those responsible promised to show more visibility again soon. Now, however, the victims and their relatives would be remembered.
In the meantime, more and more details are coming to light. So it should have come - according to media reports - not only in the London Club, but also in the club "Mr. Nilsen" to an attack. The man who injured so many people and killed two in the London Club is probably also a suspect for this attack.

Who is the perpetrator?

The perpetrator, who is believed to have acted out of an Islamist motive, is already known to the police. In the past, he is said to have repeatedly attracted attention for minor offenses. He is a Norwegian citizen, but comes from Iran. So far, he has refused to testify.

The question quickly arose whether his assault could be a hate crime against the queer community. Again and again, "Islamist terrorism" was mentioned in this context. The man has been known to the secret services in Norway for several years... Especially because he is said to belong to a network of Islamists. In a last assessment, however, the responsible investigators were actually sure that he had no violent intentions. They were obviously mistaken.

Attack on queer club in Norway

The international community also reacts

Not only people in Norway are shocked by the attack on the London Pub. Also in Germany, many can not believe what happened on the CSD weekend. Among other things, the Chancellor has already spoken out. He stated via social networks that he was shocked by the attack in Norway and that he commemorates the relatives and the injured. At the same time, he stressed that the fight against terrorism would unite the countries.

Sven Lehmann, the first queer commissioner of the German government, described the news about the attack as "frightening". He said he could not understand how much hatred a person could carry within themselves, loving others as they love. He said his thoughts were also with the victims and their families.

Many queers demand more security

The fact that events around the CSD, but also relevant locations can become targets of homophobic violence is not new. Most of those responsible (and of course also the members of the community) know how much it bothers many people when the visibility of the scene is increased - for example especially on CSD weekends. Therefore, many demand that events of this kind be placed even more under police protection and also that cooperation with the police be intensified even further.

One aspect that also plays an important role in this context again and again: The demand to explicitly include hate crimes against the community as such, in order to draw even more attention to the problem of homophobia within society.

 

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