Magnus (5), who wore a cardigan and Sami flag, and mother Hege Annie Nordlund Hagen say they experienced at least three unpleasant situations in the kindergarten train in Bodø on Tuesday.
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Magnus had been looking forward to May 17 for a long time and was clear that he would fly the Sami flag on Tuesday morning when he was chosen by his mother.
– When we started walking, a man came up to him and spoke in a nice, almost child-friendly tone and said “you should not walk with that flag”. I went between them and asked him to leave, Hagen says.
Fortunately, the five-year-old was most preoccupied with getting on the train and shouting hip hurray. She says that a little later some older men, around 60-70 years old, Hagen estimates, come over and say “æsj” to their son. The son does not get this, but gets two older ladies who school and point at the son, according to Hagen.
In the middle of this, Hagen had to ask himself: Should I take this fight now in the middle of the May 17 train? she says.
The case was first mentioned by Bodø Nu.
– You get a little dull
She also tells about another episode where another child is said to have said that we are in Norway, and that you must have a Norwegian flag. She is concerned that children do not come up with such things by themselves, but that they get it from adults.
– Then it is clear that he has brought with him a little more than I thought and says: Why are people so concerned about what flag I have?
There and then, when we are ten meters away from Pelle Police Car on the train, I can not bear to take it. I dismiss it a bit and say that there are some who think it is strange, but you should not care about that, she says.
She says she is furious, but chooses to take it later.
– You get a little dull, she says.
– What makes me extra pissed off today is that it affects my five-year-old son who has been looking forward to May 17 for so long, Hagen says.
She says she does not know any of the people and describes them as complete strangers.
Hagen was alone with her son on the train, but a friend of hers who had her own children with her was with her in parts of the train.
– I have not heard everything myself, but eventually I noticed that Magnus was a little unsure and that he asked why there were more who reacted, and that Hege replied that he did not have to care, says Lisa Lorentzen.
–Extensive problem
This is not the first time Hagen has experienced such situations, and she is far from the only one.
– I think you can call anyone Sami in one of the Norwegian cities, and they will say that they have experienced something of the same. Many have written to me about their experiences after I posted it, she says.
– Most people who have a cardigan or other Sami garments have experienced this type of agitation, she says.
She will not report the case, but will help to make people aware of the anger the Sami receive.
– I do not want to review it, but I want to bring it out and illuminate it so that it is put on the agenda. Then I hope my children do not have to face the same problem when they grow up.
Overwhelming response
She describes the response as overwhelming after she posted a post on Facebook.
– It was not the intention that it should be such a thing that blew up. I just had to get out of frustration, she says.
– What feeling are you left with now at the end of the day?
– The feeling is that we have a lot of work to do. And we actually have to do that job. I have been in contact with the mayor today who wanted to talk to us, she says.
Next year she says she will go with the Sami flag even higher.
–– Does not belong in 2022
Member of the May 17 committee in Bodø, Anita Sjåvik, tells VG that this type of behavior is not acceptable.
That a child should have been subjected to provocation on 17 May is sad. It should be a day of joy for the children, and everyone should feel included and safe, says Sjåvik.
She encourages everyone to be proud of who they are and believes that lack of knowledge and understanding is the cause of hate speech.
– Such attitudes do not belong in 2022. You should not be met with negative words when you carry your cardigan. The Sami culture is important for Norwegian history, says Sjåvik.
–Mayor: I’m genuinely sorry
The mayor of Bodø, Ida Pinnerød (Labor Party), tells VG that she is sincerely sorry that someone is exposed to such attitudes in 2022.
The leader of the May 17 committee, Ali Horori, tells VG that such behavior is in direct conflict with what May 17 stands for, and that he stands behind the mayor’s statements.
– This is not how we want it to be in Bodø. It’s even worse when children are exposed to it. We still have a job to do with someone’s attitudes, and it is a job that must be done all the time, also in Bodø, says Pinnerød.
She is sincerely proud that she lives in a city and a country where there is diversity. Pinnerød says that she is really happy when she sees all the cardigans on 17 May because it reminds her that the Sami culture and history is also an important part of Norway’s history.
– I want to say to Magnus and all other children that they must wear both cardigans, suits, national costumes and flags that they themselves want and with pride, no matter where they are from.
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