Oslo Pride shooting: gunman named as police advise delaying all Pride events
Two people died and 21 others were injured in the shooting at a popular LGBTQ venue on Saturday.
Words: Alastair James; pictures: Twitter/@EuroPride
Police in Norway have advised that all Pride events in the country be delayed following a shooting that took place over the weekend in Oslo.
On Saturday (25 June) a gunman entered the popular LGBTQ venue, The London Pub, shortly after 1 am and shot two people dead and injured 21 others.
After the attack, thousands of people took to the streets of central Oslo chanting: “We’re here, we’re queer, we won’t disappear.”
🇳🇴 “We’re here, we’re queer, we won’t disappear”
Norwegians marched in a display of solidarity and defiance on the streets of Oslo on Saturday, after the city’s pride march was cancelled following a deadly shooting. https://t.co/LFxWKhoQ10 pic.twitter.com/UjwGzX8C1W
— Openly 🏳️🌈 (@Openly) June 28, 2022
According to Reuters, Oslo Pride cancelled an event for Monday (27 June) after police suggested they do so.
In a statement to the news agency, National Police Chief Benedicte Bjoernland said Pride events should be delayed “until further notice” and that the queer community is considered an “enemy” by extremist Islamists.
Norway’s terror alert level has been raised to its highest level following the attack.
Meanwhile, the gunman has been named as 43-year-old Zaniar Matapour who is a Norweigan citizen of Iranian origin. He is reported to have been radicalised and has a history of mental illness.
He is also said to have been known to Norway’s intelligence services since 2015.
Reuters reports that Roger Berg, the acting head of Norway’s police, the PST said that “Around 2015 we were worried about this person. We have followed him, to a degree. In more recent times, he was not one of the people we were the most worried about.”
Matapour has been accused of murder, attempted murder, and terrorism, according to reports.
John Christian Elden, who is representing Metapour said it was “far too early” to comment on the shooter’s motives for the attack.
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