Pride 2023:- Many are still struggling:

I was shot in the head and I’m still alive. So you are in luck. It is also true that I was unlucky, as I stood in the path of a bullet in the depths of the room. It had serious consequences for me. But I’m still here. Now I can make a difference.

This is what Espen Eventh, leader of the support group on June 25, told Dagbladet.

On Sunday, they extended an invitation to the entire country for a one-year commemoration at Oslo’s Centrum Theater, to commemorate the terrorist attack.

The way the victims of the terrorist incident were taken care of after that Saturday night last year varies greatly. Some believe they have had a good follow-up, while others have called for better organization and communication from the healthcare system.

This is one of the reasons why the support group was created in March.

Eventh himself was badly injured when Xanyar Matabor attacked several nightclubs in Rosenkrantz Gate.

– It was important to be able to do something to contribute to this matter. I survived being shot, and then made two choices: The first was to feel lucky. The second is that I shouldn’t let fear control me, says Evjenth.

Dagbladet meets him with two board members, Ingrid Rasten and Dag Werner Larsen, in the building they rent in Greenland.

PST Manager does not agree with this

Excitement, fear and uncertainty

In addition to the concert they are organizing to celebrate the event, they will also have a stage in Pride Park. So, they brought in the Oslo Ambulance Service, who would be with them in case someone needed to speak to the healthcare staff. The event will also be attended by staff with experience in the field of trauma.

There is a lot of stress, fear, and uncertainty associated with this year’s pride. Then it’s important to be visible, to be a social political organization that people know they can participate in, says Larsen.

Many members of the support group are still deeply traumatized. Many are still on sick leave and struggling to cope with daily life.

– This is why the work we do is so important, says Larsen.

On the night of June 25 last year, Ingrid chased Rasten Matapore after the first shots were fired, and helped keep him under control until the police arrived. Her strong commitment to justice also led her to a support group.

– I was disappointed because I spoke to so many people who didn’t get the healthcare they needed. People, especially outside Oslo, experienced becoming pawns of the regime. She says it bothered me.

Pointing fingers: – Sheer provocation

– Bor, pure tired

After that fateful night, it was 90 hours before she could sleep. Then she woke up with pneumonia and a strong physical reaction. The anxiety in the body also did not escape him.

Now she uses her expertise to help others.

– For me, the support group was very important, and I am committed and motivated. It was a good way to deal with the accident, which is also a crisis for me. I can do something active and shopping.

– You have a lot to do in the support group, and at the same time you have to deal with the trauma that you have experienced. How do you balance that?

I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m really tired, but I know I’m very, very tired and very, very tired. There are days when I have to catch up, because there are so many now. But we are approaching June 25th, and we have to. It is an important but painful date. It touches a lot of feelings, but we have to be on the ball and put our needs aside.

The support group will soon be sending out a survey to all members, where they will highlight the follow-up many of those affected have subsequently received.

– I have to say sorry

Hard to touch

The days leading up to this year’s Pride are busy. Between board meetings, prom planning, and other activities, there is little time to absorb what the three of them really experienced a year ago.

– Aspen and my isolated experience. But when you get to know what happened on the streets, it becomes overwhelming. It’s an almost amazing experience. Hard to touch, says Larsen, who was standing next to Evjenth when he was shot on the night of June 25 last year.

How Larsen will celebrate Pride this year, he still isn’t sure. What he does know is that he will be standing in Pride Park for both the support group and the Norwegian Nurses Association.

– I do it very proudly. But walking through the show might be too much. I’m getting more vulnerable in that kind of context. I want to understand what pride actually is – an important socio-political marker. There is also a party, but there will not be many parties for me this year. I have bad memories associated with it.