This is a blog post from a norwegian member of the Labour party who was at Utøya during the shooting. Sorry about any confusion with this being me, complete fail. It's half past six, and I'm also trying to make a new OP with complete information about everything that has happened.
I'm still in shock. Just got home. Was driven home by Prableens father from Sundvollen hotell. I'm actually still in shock. I can't get a single tear out. I can't believe it: Today I actually almost got killed. Hunted down and killed.
What can I say? The last normal thought I had was about the student organization in AUF. I had just been to a political workshop (it's what we're doing here on Utøya) - and I was on my way up to the AUF-store where I had "guard" duty
A good friend of mine came over and told me about the explosion that had occurred somewhere in Oslo. Sick! The government block and Youngstorget?! (place close by). A lot of people were concerned. The mood was, mildly put, not good, many thought that this was Utøyas worst moment this year, but then more happened. I had a lump in my throat. The biggest one ever.
We were first called to a information meeting with the leaders so that everyone got the same, and correct, information. This meeting was useful and went well. Almost everyone got hold of their family members in Oslo and got to check if everyone was alive.
I didn't get hold of my family for a very long time! When I finally did get confirmation that three of them weren't in Oslo, and the last one was far from the city center - then I could breathe. Properly. I went down to the AUF store. The general secretary Tonje Brenna came over and talked to me. Asked if I needed someone to talk to. Then we heard shots from down the hill. Who the **** is kidding now, we thought? Who could possibly believe that this wasn't a joke. Suddenly all the guys on guard duty are running up the hill and shouting "hide!" "Run into the main building" etc. I ran into the outdoors toilet at the AUF store. The shots got closer. I was very sure this was all some kind of prank, but you can't be sure, this day had proven that much. The seconds spent inside that toilet were hell. Slowly buy surely I put my cellphone to vibration(no sound) and I put it in my bra so that I wouldn't loose it. I put my purse on the floor. When I finally heard the voice of someone I knew, I stepped outside.
But it wasn't over. We had to run past the NATO toilet (as it was called) and down towards the corner, the right side of the dock. We fell through a lot of bushes and big stones and I got a lot of cuts. We were a group of about 15-20 persons maybe. I was stressed. Matti held me and calmed me down.
We ran and ran. The worst part was when we found out he was dressed as a cop: The guy shooting was dressed a chop. ****. Who can we trust then? If we call the police - that's the guy that will come to check on things?
But we tried to call the cops! They used a ****ton of time. I gave my phone to Munir and told him to update facebook, tell everyone with a boat to help us.
We ran back and forth when the shots got closer. Matti said we had to swim. But how could I manage that, it was sooo far.
Trond Agnar sudden showed up. He said many had tried to swim, but they had ended up swimming back because it was too cold, too long, too hard. But you know what? I'd rather drown than be shot. Sorry. I took of my shirt and with some encouragement Matti I started swimming. It started to get heavy so I had to take of my pants. It was freeeezing.
I swam. Matti saved me. He said the right things and did the right tings. He got me to swim - SO long. When we had been swimming for a while Matti said "Kamzy, dont look back. Look straight forward to that piece of land and think about how that's your goal.
"Ok" I said. We heard shots all the time, and I'm still surprised Matti and I didn't get hit.
(I found out afterwards that he stood there. That was the reason Matti told me to look straight ahead. He was standing right where we had been hiding a few minutes ago. Oh my god! And he tried to shoot us. We were being hunted.)
I kept swimming. Then a few boats came and saved us. One of the boats threw out lifesaving vests and then had to go away. The next boat then came and saved us. Even though we were in the boat, I couldn't relax. It was none of the "Yes, we've been saved"-spirit. He can still hit us with his machine gun! I sat down on the deck immediately. I didn't feel safe. Not at all.
Some of the people living there helped us when we got to the shore. They gave us towels and drove us to a gas station where the police and the paramedics were waiting. I was in shock. Couldn't press out a single tear. I still haven't realized what has happened?
Sunganthan came over to me with my cellphone and was sorry that it didn't work anymore. Dear Sunganthan, I'm just happy you're alive!
Anniken Huitfeldt (she's the minister of culture) called me and talked to me. I didn't know who owned the phone, there was just a girl who came over and said Anniken wants to talk. I asked her: "Why the **** did the police take such a long time to arrive?" She agreed. And tried to calm me, and ask me what had happened.
There was a really nice girl who worked there that gave us warm clothes and something warm to drink. I also got to call my dad. I'm glad he can handle such things a bit calmly - although he was very distressed.
And then we went onwards to Sundvollen hotel where everyone was supposed to meet. We registered and gathered up.
We were the first who got there. And therefore we could see people coming in one by one, crying their eyes out. I understand them very well. I just didn't understand, and still can't understand, why I couldn't get a single tear out. I wanted out of this this state of shock I'm still in. I want out of here. I rode home to my dad with Prableen.
I'm still in shock. Who does something like this? Blows up important buildings in Oslo and kills the future politicians of the labour party who are just attending a summer camp. What wrong have we done?!
Those who ressort to violence have run out of arguments. How could he do what he did to my AUF friends? This seems so surreal. I don't get it. I don't understand.
I recommend everyone go watch the press conference with Jens Stoltenberg and Knut Storberget
"None shall bomb us to silence. None shall shoot us to silence" - Jens Stoltenberg says this, and I couldn't agree more.
First and foremost all my thoughts go out the loved ones. This is when we take care of each other. Support and lift each other upwards. Comfort one and other. And show the most loving part of ourselves.
But I'm still in shock. And that's why I'm writing this blog. I can't tel the story over and over again. This is what happened to me in a short summary. To me. But the fear that was there all the time... I don't think I'm able to put it into words. We were given messages about who were shot and killed on the fly, but I have left this out due to respect for those who are dead. They deserve better.
We don't deserve to die either. And that is why I'm writing this blog. We're just regular youth. We're interested in politics. We want to make the world a better place - I missed the part where WE became the bad guys
Thinking about everyone who was out there on the island.
I really hope everyone makes it. You deserve better.
It was important for me to get this out. It IS important.
Re: At least 87 dead in mass shooting, bombing in Norway
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