“We now experience that there can be doubt about the safety in Oslo now and do not understand that the police could be in doubt that this was a big event.”
The SMS, which Dagbladet has had access to, was sent from communications manager Hanne Gjørtz in Oslo municipality at 5 pm on Monday 27 June.
The recipient was the police communications director, Siv Meisingset.
The backdrop was the cancellation of the planned Pride event the same day, which was to be a support marking after the mass shooting the weekend in advance.
DOWNLOAD FLOWERS: Flowers and Pride flags were laid near the scene, in memory of the victims after the mass shooting on the night of 25 June. Photo: Lars Eivind Bones
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First, City Councilor Raymond Johansen (Labor Party) encouraged people to participate. Then the police changed their recommendation to cancel the event.
During a press conference on the afternoon of Monday 27 June, Chief of Staff Martin Strand said that the event was likely to be larger than they were predicted the day before.
– This is what is a little difficult. We are sitting in a slightly different picture and maybe should have talked better together before that. But with the threat picture we have now, we can not recommend the implementation of the event, said Strand.
The head of communications in Oslo municipality thus thought it was incomprehensible that the Oslo police had not anticipated that there would be a large event.
“Not planned”
Meisingset in the police replied that “this was a press conference kicked off”, and that “the wording was not written up or planned”.
“Let’s see if there is any more info later that can contribute to more understanding of the postponement. I do not know if it will come – hope for it. “, It continues in the SMS.
Gjørtz also reacted to the police statement that the threat picture they posed meant that they could not recommend carrying out the event, the SMS thread shows.
She feared that it could create insecurity in the population.
The next day, the police took self-criticism for how they had communicated about the support marking. In a press release, they pointed out that the situation had “changed all the time”.
– Therefore, the police’s recommendations have also changed in recent days, something we understand can be perceived as unclear communication, they wrote.
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At the same time, they pointed out that it was information from PST, in combination with the fact that the queer environment is part of the enemy image of extreme Islamists, which was behind the recommendation.
“Doesn’t sound wise”
The cancellation of the Pride parade on Saturday 25 June was also a topic between the two communications managers.
«Know that Pride is canceled. But you probably know that too », wrote Meisingset at 07 o’clock on Saturday morning.
She said she thought it would be announced at a press conference at 09, and asked Gjørtz in Oslo municipality to keep it to himself for the time being.
“That does not sound wise.” Gjørtz replied about the cancellation.
Folkehav defies police warnings
Shortly afterwards, she was called by the Emergency Management Agency, with the message that they had concluded in a staff meeting to cancel the event, the SMS thread continues.
Kåre Hesvik (60) and Jon Erik Isachsen (54) were killed when terror suspect Zaniar Matapour (43) shot at several nightclubs in central Oslo on the night of 25 June. In addition, 21 people were injured.
Despite the cancellation of both the Pride parade and the support rally, thousands of people showed up both days.
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