In an act of defiance against terror, Norway’s LGBTQ+ community has staged a “spontaneous” Pride parade just hours after a mass shooting that took the lives of two and left a dozen injured outside an LGBTQ+ venue.
The unofficial Pride parade took place despite the official Pride parade being cancelled by organisers, and just hours after a 42-year-old man opened fire at three locations in Oslo, with thousands turning out to march silently.
The attack that is reported to have killed two and injured at least ten, is being investigated as an act of terrorism by police, with the suspect believed to be a radicalised Islamist according to acting Police chief Roger Berg.
The Iranin-born man was a Norwegian citizen and was known to security services since 2015.
Speaking after the mass shooting, Norwegen Prime minister Jonas Gahr Store along with princess Mette-Marit and prince Haako paid their respects at the London Pub, which is one of the city’s largest LGBTQ+ venues in Oslo and the scene of the shooting.
Hundreds of Pride flags along with bouquets of flowers have also been left outside the London Pub as a makeshift memorial to the victims.
