On Friday morning, the government met several LGBT + organizations for a dialogue meeting afterwards Saturday’s mass shooting in Oslo. Several ministers were present at the meeting, which was held in the government’s representation facility.
Both Minister of Culture and Gender Equality Anette Trettebergstuen (Labor Party), Minister of Children and Family Affairs Kjersti Toppe (Social Democrats), Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol (Labor Party), Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt (Labor Party) and Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Bjørnar Skjæran were present. .
However, one who was not present was Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp). She had instead taken the trip to Vestfold to attend a traffic control under the auspices of UP.
On the night of Saturday 25 June, Kåre Hesvik and Jon Isachsen were killed, after the shooting at the nightclubs Per on the corner and the London pub in Oslo. 21 people were injured in the attack, and several of them ended up in hospital with gunshot wounds.
RESPONSES STRONGLY: Eivind Rindal here photographer together with the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Jonas Gahr Støre in connection with a memorial service after 22 July. Rindal was himself a survivor after the attack and testified against Anders Behring Breivik. Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB
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– Fly cursed
It gets a member of the activist group «Skewed rebellion»And leader of Trondheim Pride, Eivind Rindal, to react strongly.
– I’m pissed off. I believe the Minister of Justice has failed on a fundamental level. I think this is an issue that both the Prime Minister and her party leader should address. This should have consequences for Emilie Enger Mehl, Rindal tells Dagbladet.
– What makes you react so strongly?
– Today she had an opportunity to listen, but she chose instead to be out and control the traffic in Vestfold. It is a priority that testifies to a judgment that does not meet goals.
The Minister of Justice has been presented with the criticism from Rindal. Read Mehl’s response further down in the case.
Rindal himself attended the meeting, and says he was surprised that a state secretary from the Ministry of Justice was present and not Mehl himself.
But it was only after the meeting, when he read in Dagbladet about Mehl’s visit to Vestfold, that he understood what had happened.
– People need to sharpen up
– It is a priority that testifies to a judgment that does not meet goals, he believes.
Rindal emphasizes that he is happy that the Minister of Justice is following up on such an important issue as traffic safety, but is surprised that she does so on the same day as the government has called for a dialogue meeting.
– It is not every day that you have the opportunity to listen to constructive criticism and feedback from a diverse range of queer organizations, activist networks and associations.
VISITED LONDON PUB: Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl visited the bar Per on the corner on Sunday night. Here with pub owner Tadezin «Tasko» Fetisi ,. Photo: Andreas Fadum / Dagbladet
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Mehl: – Ble lei meg
Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl has been presented with the criticism from Rindal. In an e-mail to Dagbladet, she writes:
– When I read this review, I was sad, because I really care about the queer environment and everyone who feels uneasy after what happened in Oslo on Saturday night.
Mehl continues:
– The last week I have been busy asking and answering questions that people may have, so that everyone will get answers to the things you are wondering about and so that everyone will feel safe, she writes.
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She adds that she later sees that she would like to attend the meeting.
– People from the Ministry of Justice were present at the meeting. When I see in retrospect what kind of meeting this was, and the thoughts Rindal has, I would of course have liked to have been there myself.
Mehl explains the reason why she went to Vestfold to attend a traffic control:
– The background for my meeting with the Emergency Police is that 63 people have been killed in traffic accidents so far this year. There are twice as many as at the same time in 2021. Summer is the peak season for road deaths, and very many will reach the road. It was therefore important for me to help reach out with information that people must drive carefully, drug-free and put away their mobile phones to prevent us from losing even more lives, Mehl writes.
Stand together against the threats
On Monday, Oslo Pride was to hold a solidarity celebration at Rådhusplassen in Oslo. On the recommendation of the police, the marking was decided to be canceled. Still it was thousands who took the trip to Rådhusplassen to show their support in the fight for love.
Rindal reacted strongly when the marking was canceled.
– It felt like getting a fist in the face of arrogance. The country is in crisis, queer organizations are in crisis, the police I would say are in crisis, all the time they are unable to protect Pride parades around the country, Rindal says.
Folkehav defies police warnings
Mehl says it hurts that we are now in a situation where you have to cancel events as a result of the level of threat in Norway.
– There have been many strong impressions in the past week. PST has made very serious threat assessments, which the police follow up with advice and measures. On Wednesday, PST assessed that we have a high terrorist threat. This means that one or more people have the ability and willingness to carry out a terrorist attack in Norway, writes Mehl, and adds:
– It hurts that we are in a situation where this goes beyond free people in our society, and my goal is that we should stand together against these threats so that everyone will feel safe.
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