Oslo: Youth outlook at the demonstrations

Oslo: Youth outlook at the demonstrations

Following an interview I posted of a Palestinian living in Belgium, here are two interviews with people at the riots in central Oslo last week.

The first is with a girl who explains that it's a religious issue. I think it's interesting that she claims she's anti-violence in one sentence and that she's pro-Jihad in another.

The second (below) is with a gang member. Similarly to past riots, the gangs are not really interested in the violence or the increased police presence.

Big thanks to R. who helped me out with the video.

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Police and central figures in Oslo's gangs confirm that several people from both the B-Gang and the rival Young Guns were present during the street fighting in Oslo yesterday [ie, Thursday].

"Everybody was there. We were 20-25 people from our side," says a central figure in Young Guns to Dagbladet.no.

But according to both the police and themselves, they weren't involved in the fighting.

"We stood shoulder to shoulder with the B-Gang. We met many of them, and everybody took it very calmly," says the man.

According to Dagbladet.no sources, investigators of the police's gang project followed several presumed gang members from the start of the demonstrations yesterday. These groups were asked to go away from the areas with the most fighting.

"We were there just to look and show our support for Palestine. And the police were around us the whole time regardless," he says.

There were rumors yesterday that also a large group of so-called 'casuals', violent football hooligans, were among the rioters by the parliament.

Dagbladet.no observed several times that strong white men in their 30s who were not part of the police or the traditional demonstrators in Oslo got involved in different situations, but did not get confirmation that they were 'casuals'.

Gang members who were present in the demonstration are angry at those who exercised violence and fought yesterday.

"There won't be peace this way. We in particular know that one doesn't get such a message across by using violence. We know that the life we live in Oslo, with all the violence, that it never stops. We tried actually to calm down people there. but it was too many that were there just because they wanted fight with the police. They just wanted to fight and make trouble regardless," the man says.

Dagbladet.no knows that central figures on both the A and B sides are involved with the conflict in the Middle East.

"We take very active interest in this issue. I've sent clothing down there," says the gang member.

"We have nothing against Jews, neither in Norway or Israel. We are against war and those who support it," he says.

He think the only positive thing about the fighting is that Israel will then understand how much dissatisfaction there is.

"Israel must understand that it's boiling now. That people are angry and they don't tolerate their warfare," he says.

The gang members didn't appreciate being followed by the police during the demonstration, but found out that there were advantages this time to having the police around them.

He says the police tipped them off on where they should run when they started using teargas.

As I previously reported, the gang members helped a pro-Israel demonstrator get away from the rioters.

Sources: Dagbladet, ABC Nyheter (Norwegian)

Previous reports:
* Oslo: Muslims save pro-Israel demonstrator (+video)
* Oslo: Anti-Israel demonstration turns ugly (+video)