Byens Helter

Jeg vil gjerne rette en stor takk til byens helter som måtte rykke ut til en nabo’s tørrkokte kjele idag. Det ble mye røyk, men ingen brann eller personskader – delvis takket være heltemodig innsats fra snarrådige naboer.

Vakker kvinne i uniform

Weekly Photo Challenge: Culture (Clash)

The theme for WordPress’ Weekly Photo Challenge this week is: Culture.  I choose to showcase these recent photos from a culture clash that took place in Oslo. The gypsies have illegally occupied a building called Borgen in Gamlebyen, Oslo. This building is going to be demolished because it’s in the way of a new train route. The owner of the building is the Norwegian State Railways and they needed help from the police to empty the building of its illegal occupants.

More from yesterdays demonstration

Yesterday there was a protest in Gamlebyen, Oslo. Some people were protesting against Islam, while some other people were protesting against people protesting against Islam. Here’s some more info, a gallery and a video clip.

Happy to serve.

Side#1 (The Anti-Muslims):

• Claim that muslims are taking over Europe.
• Believes that most muslims are extremists that hate non-believers.
• Uses their democratic freedom to arrange demonstrations and publicly express their point of view.
• Wants to expel all muslims from Norway/Europe (even the ones that are born and raised here).
• Claim that they are non-violent.
• Claim that all muslims are either violent or that they’re waiting to become the majority before they hijack our democracy.
• Are against the fact that many schools in Oslo have a majority of immigrants (some schools around 90%, but not all of them are muslims).
• Have a dream that society will return to being ethnical white (like it pretty much was all the way up until the end of the 1970’s).
• Anti-Sharia

Side#2 (The Anti-Anti-Muslims)

• Claims that Side#1 are racists.
• “Criticism of Islam = racism” (?)
• Claim that Side#1 are friends of Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik.
• Thinks that freedom of speech is good (but should only apply to those who agree with themselves).
• On multiple occasions they’ve used violence to stop political opponents such as Side#1 and supporters of Israel.

The police sealed off the neighborhood.

The anti-muslim group

Notice the banners in the windows.

Officers from Romeo (the riding police)

“Klosterenga for everyone” (except people who don’t like islam)

Journalists

Happy to serve.

Sometimes you just need a strecth when you’re having a hard day at work.

The anti-muslim protest behind the fence. On this side of the fence: journalists.

People came to protest against the anti-muslims (technically protesting against freedom of speech)

Backing up into formation

It was a cold day for both police, journalists, animals and demonstrators.

Goldilocks has joined the police force.

Anti-muslims from Norway, Sweden, England and Poland.

The walls of Oslo Prison – the district prison of Oslo, Norway. It is the largest prison in Norway, with a capacity of around 350 detainees.

The anti-muslims came from Norway, Sweden, England and Poland.

A bit blurry photo (shot while filming).

This one was also shot while filming.

Security Measures
The police sealed off the area to protect Side#1 against Side#2. They put up 2 checkpoints, plus a sealed off area inside the 2 checkpoints where Side#1 could hold their protest.
If we’re not counting the protestors from Side#1, the people inside the police checkpoints consisted of 95% journalists. The rest (5%) were 3 children from the neighborhood, some police officers dressed in civilian clothing, plus a young couple that no-one really knew or seemed to pay much attention to.

Also among the spectators, was a researcher from the College of Oslo (he was there as a researcher – not to express support with Side#1). His name is Lars Gule and he’s a public person that is often used by Norwegian media as an “expert-witness on political extremists and Islam”. Today he’s teaching Islam at the College of Oslo, but in 1977 he was arrested in Beirut on his way to Israel with explosives in his luggage. His plan was to blow up some jews, but his plan was thwarted. (http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Gule).

As you can see from the photos, Side#1 was a tiny bunch of people while Side#2 totally outnumbered them. Even the journalists was close to outnumber Side#1 (and at some point I believe they did).

Many of the residents in the neighborhood had put banners with Oslo and a heart in the windows facing the park where the protest was being held. Someone put up a banner that read “Klosterenga for alle”, meaning ‘Klosterenga for everyone’ (Klosterenga is the name of the park).

Here’s a clip from the protest (sorry about the camera shake, but I don’t have a steady hand, nor enough experience, when it comes to filming…)

This was posted under the category News Photos

Police Horses in Snow

Went to capture some photos at a protest demonstration in Gamlebyen, Oslo today.

It was a cold day for both police, journalists, animals and demonstrators.

The police were there and they’d put on their riot gear and brought their horses, but the protest was conducted without any violent episodes. After a couple of hours the protesters returned to their homes, which was very nice for all the police officers & journalists because we all had cold feet.

Car Fire

There was a car fire, so I brought my camera…

This was posted under the category News Photos

Freedom of Speech? Only if you agree

An organisation called SIAN (Stop Islamization of Norway) held a demonstration in downtown Oslo on Saturday the 29th of September 2012.  According to the pamphlets distributed at the event they were demonstrating against the special requirements demanded by muslims in Norway, like:

• New blasphemy laws to to prevent criticism of islam
• Banks for muslims
• The desire the connect sharia with Norwegian laws
• Elderly care centers for muslims only
• Kindergartens for muslims only
• Schools for muslims only
• Muslim food (halal) for muslim prisoners in Norwegian prisons
• Etc, etc.

What matters most is how well you walk through the fire

Dramatic fire at Tøyen in Oslo

I didn’t know what to name this post, but I ended up with a Charles Bukowski quote. Anyway, yesterday there was a dramatic fire in Oslo, so I went to shoot some photos. There are a total of 92 people registered at the address and the police said a total of 38 people were evacuated. Most of the people are elderly and many had to be carried or wheeled out of there. There were no casualties and the fire department quickly extinguished the fire.

Follow-up on the violent demonstration

In a Weekly Photo Challenge back in November 2011 I posted a photo from a violent demonstration in Oslo. In that post Jo Bryant commented and said: 

Violent Demonstration (Weekly Photo Challenge – Windows)

Here’s a photo I shot for a Norwegian newspaper during a violent demonstration in Oslo, Norway. Notice that one of the police officers are holding his shield upwards to protect him and the other officers against the rock that is flying through the air and is about to hit.

Art: Daniela Rossell – The Rich and Famous

Here’s an old case, from some years back. It was originally published in the Norwegian newspaper Morgenbladet, in August 2004.

‘Nicolaj Udstillingsbygning’ shows in their summer exhibition “Rich and Famous” by the Mexican photographer Daniela Rossell. In color photographs that catch you off guard Daniela Rossell’s turns her ethnographic look at the Mexican upper-class’ tastes and lifestyles. The social photography turns its head and directs its focus towards the wealthy upper-class’ conspicuous luxury and economic power.

Daniela Rossell – Ricas y famosas