Bergen’s National Day Celebration Marred by Drunken Brawls: Calls for Stricter Drinking Regulations and More Inclusive Urban Spaces

BERGEN (Dagbladet): Already before this year’s national day celebration in Bergen, the discussion about drunken brawls was underway.

KrF politician Joel Ystebø asked for stricter drinking regulations on 17 May, but was voted down. In Bergen, the taps open at 7am – five hours earlier than in Oslo. The police planned for an increased presence as a result of last year’s drunken chaos, but registered anyway 229 missions on National Day.

– What the police patrol experienced on the afternoon and early evening of 17 May, we have not experienced before, said section leader at Bergen city center police station, Ole Bjørn Sveen, to NRK.

Mother of small children and leader in Rødt Bergen, Hege Mikkelsen, reacts strongly to the condition of several people who stayed in the city centre. In a post in The Bergen newspaper she refers to it as a “fillet tsunami”. She believes that Bergen has a collective alcohol problem on Constitution Day and that it is time to take action.

– Already early in the day there were post-apocalyptic scenes in the city centre. People were awesome. It’s frustrating and unnecessary. We manage just fine without scenes like that. It’s about a lack of culture and a social acceptance of drunkenness, she says to Dagbladet.

– Chaotic

At around 8pm on National Day, she and her little baby were to take the bus from Løvstakkside to outer Sandviken, with a change at Festplassen.

“Shame burned in my cheeks as I tried to spread my body over the pram to shield it from vomit, elbows and a tumbling, screaming mass of people chaotically cramming onto the bus. That I could, I thought. To take the baby on something so anti-child and irresponsible – public transport home from a cake party on Children’s Day in Bergen,” she writes.

Mikkelsen describes a beautifully decorated city center that overflowed with rubbish, vomit, police and drunk young, beautiful people. She supports the proposal not to open the taps before 12 o’clock on National Day, as in Oslo.

– There are a few hours there during the procession, when people would not have access to alcohol. I think it would have had an effect, she says, and at the same time believes that drinking in public must have consequences.

Rushing for a pour-over – yes

– Crazy expensive

The Rødt politician points out that thousands gathered to celebrate in good weather when Brann won the cup final just a few days later – without people going off the rails in the same way.

– I think the social acceptance we have developed that this is a day we can take off completely has a lot to say. We accept it to such an extent that we spend insane amounts of resources on the police and healthcare.

She thinks it is absurd that the emergency services have to staff up because we are going to celebrate national day.

– What we are doing now is preparing ourselves for disaster. It’s insanely expensive. Alcohol is the source of a lot of fun, but it is also the drug that causes the most damage and strain on our health system. That is something we have to take into account.

Worried

Mikkelsen advocates a stricter drinking policy in Bergen.

– There is a lot of talk about creating a vibrant city center and making arrangements for the catering industry. All the public spaces are to be transformed into a European piazza. We will be on holiday in Europe every day. I believe there is a danger that the catering industry will displace all other industries in the city centre.

MDG’s Thor Haakon Bakke has previously stated that he would turn Torgallmenningen into “piazza della Torgallmenningen” and at the beginning of May, the city council decided to open for beer serving already in the summer. It was also opened for pouring in the area by the Bergen cinema.

– There is little creative use of the urban spaces and displaces other activities. I want a more inclusive urban space, says Mikkelsen.

Want outdoor seating: – Is dead

Dagbladet has asked for a comment from city council leader Rune Bakervik (Ap), but has not received a reply. When KrF advocated tightening the rules on drinking on 17 May, he said the following to Dagbladet:

– I believe that KrF goes far too far in its need to control what they frown upon. We must remember that the main problem lies in the fact that people tend to overindulge at private parties and breakfasts before they go out, and that people bring drinks around with them.