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In Videos: We Can’t Breathe Oslo Protest

by Ka Man Mak

Written by Melanie Coffee
Videos by Andre Percey Katombe, Melanie Coffee, Anette Alvik, and Ka Man Mak.

The plan called for a human chain of 750 people, standing 1 meter apart, to respect coronavirus infection control rules. Also, a small gathering of 50 people was to be outside the US Embassy.

Instead, as many as 15,000 converged in front of the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) and several hundred were outside the US Embassy. The demonstration was organized by the Oslo African rights organization ARISE and Oslo University’s African Student Association.

The thousands came out to participate in the “We Can’t Breathe – Justice for George Floyd” event. Chants of “I can’t breathe”, “Say his name: George Floyd” and “No justice, no peace” filled Eidsvold Plass as demonstrators held signs that carried those messages and more. 

The organizers were concerned about the massive crowd considering the coronavirus situation, and they handed out free face masks with dollops of hand sanitizer.

Hundreds of protests against racism have taken place around the world, galvanized by the videotaped death of George Floyd, an African American who was killed in Minneapolis when a white police officer held his knee on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

In Oslo, on Friday the crowd’s thunderous chanting was quelled during an 8-minute-and-46 second span, where numerous kneeled and one of the organizers recited Floyd’s final words. 

Outside of US Embassy in Oslo.
Filmed and Edited by Anette Alvik / The Oslo Desk

Outside US Embassy in Oslo.
Filmed by Ka Man Mak / The Oslo Desk
Demonstrators walking away from US Embassy in Oslo heading to join the movement downtown Oslo.
Filmed by Ka Man Mak / The Oslo Desk.
A powerful silence for 8 mins 46 seconds as people got down on their knees whilst Chimaobi Onye-Igbo recited some of the last words of #GeorgeFloyd.
Filmed by Ka Man Mak / The Oslo Desk.
Chanting where is the Prime Minister Erna Solberg outside Norwegian Parliament.
Filmed by Ka Man Mak
At Norwegian Parliament in Oslo.
Filmed by Melanie Coffee / The Oslo Desk
At Norwegian Parliament in Oslo.
Filmed by Melanie Coffee / The Oslo Desk
At Norwegian Parliament in Oslo.
Filmed by Melanie Coffee / The Oslo Desk
Speakers at We Can’t Breathe Protest outside Norwegian Parliament in Oslo.
Filmed and Edited by Andre Percey Katombe (Sonrise Picture) for The Oslo Desk
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Ka Man Mak

Ka Man is an investigative journalist, documentary photographer, and social entrepreneur, as well as the founder of The Oslo Desk. She is a British-born Hong Konger residing in Oslo, Norway. She holds a Master in Environmental Geoscience and have taken numerous diplomas including child psychology, and a course in big data analytics at OsloMet. Made numerous publications in newsletters, magazines and Norwegian newspapers. Interested in edtech, constructive journalism, women in migration, Cantonese language, alternatives to capitalism and asylum policy.