No one should feel afraid to be themselves

It had been several years since Bjørn Yngve and Bjarne last joined the Pride celebration, due to Bjørn Yngve Bjørneseth's work rotation at AF Anlegg frequently overlapping with the event. However, on a June day in 2022, he and his partner Bjarne Finsrud (right) went from Kongsvinger to Oslo to celebrate. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, ideal for the occasion. After attending an event at Spikersuppa, Bjørn and Bjarne decided around 11 PM to go to London Pub. The pub was crowded, and they met many acquaintances. Occasionally, they stepped outside for a cigarette and chatted with other festive guests at the entrance.

Both Bjørn and his partner were outside smoking when they heard what they thought was fireworks in front of the neighboring pub, Per På Hjørnet. Bjørn wanted to check what was happening, crossed the street, and stood outside Finn Schjøll's flower shop. There, he saw Zaniar Matapour standing with an automatic weapon, shooting at the neighboring pub. The terrorist turned and looked in Bjørn's direction. Bjørn stood frozen, unable to move, and remembers thinking, "Does it hurt to get shot?"

Outside London Pub, Bjarne saw the man shooting at random bar guests. The terrorist then aimed the automatic weapon at the pub where Bjarne was standing and fired in their direction. Panic ensued, tables and chairs overturned, and people fled for their lives. For a few seconds, Matapour paused to reload the weapon.

Bjarne, unaware of where his partner was, thought it was now or never and tackled Matapour. The terrorist got up and continued running with a handgun, while Bjarne stayed on the submachine gun. Bjørn and several others on the street chased the terrorist, caught up with him, and pinned him down. Three people held the terrorist until the police arrived.

Honored with a medal for noble deed

For nearly two years, Bjørn and other individuals involved worked to compile information and understand the full details of the situation involving the terrorist. Bjørn and Bjarne only remember fragments of the event, and the police were initially reluctant to share information during the early investigation phase.

Before Christmas in 2023, they were informed that they would receive a medal for noble deeds, which is awarded for actions taken to save lives and putting one's own life at risk. Bjarne was the only one to receive the gold medal, while Bjørn and 10 others received the silver medal.

"It's certainly a recognition that we did something right. At the same time, I would have preferred not to have experienced the incident. It was only in April 2024, during the trial, that we saw a reconstruction of all the details put together from various surveillance videos, mobile videos, and witness statements," Bjørn explains.

He adds that the trial has been an important contributor to creating a sense of calm and beginning to put things behind them. It has been two challenging years, and the two have dealt with the incident differently. Bjørn was on sick leave for a week before he wanted to return to work as a tunnel foreman at AF Anlegg, where he worked 13/15 shifts on the Lovö project outside Stockholm. For his partner, who works as an electrician in Kongsvinger, it took longer to process and cope with the dramatic night.

The investigation was repeatedly delayed, partly because the terrorist refused to be interrogated. This situation was challenging for the couple. They received limited assistance and follow-up from public authorities.

– No one contacted us. Bjarne states that they contacted the crisis team but were informed that Kongsvinger municipality was responsible for following up with them as they reside in Kongsvinger.

Through the municipality, Bjarne was eventually offered to talk to a social therapist and join a support group for men.

– It was quite hopeless. None of them had expertise in trauma treatment, Bjørn adds.

Don't Be Afraid to Ask Questions

For Bjørn, meeting colleagues, being at work, and normalizing everyday life as much as possible has been therapeutic. However, he felt the strain of being away from his partner for extended periods, especially in the beginning. In the AF project, some discovered that Bjørn had played a key role in halting the attack in Oslo.

– I didn't talk much about it myself. I informed my team and my immediate supervisor. I thought they should be informed.

While he was aware that many people knew about the situation, he observed that colleagues were reluctant to discuss the incident.

 – Maybe it's because we work in a masculine and somewhat silent environment where we don't ask each other much about how life is going. But it's not really that scary to talk about difficult things. It's better to ask one time too many.

Bjørn originally comes from Elverum. He became partners with Bjarne in 2001 and moved to Kongsvinger. He joined AF in 2021 and has extensive experience in the industry. However, he has not always been openly gay, particularly in professional settings.

– For me, it has been a maturation process. I needed time to feel comfortable talking about who I am. It's personal, and it's not that I was unhappy before either. I've never experienced anyone speaking directly negatively about LGBTQ+ people at work, but I'm glad to be open about it in recent years and to see that people react positively

Things are improving for both of them, though unfamiliar sounds and crowds remain challenging. They resolved early on not to let the terrorist's fear dominate the LGBTQ+ community.

– I aim to reduce fear by advocating for the acceptance of diverse identities. Furthermore, I hope to demonstrate that being gay encompasses a broad range of experiences and professions, states Bjørn.

When asked if AF Gruppen can do more to create an inclusive work environment, Bjørn thinks it's important to highlight the message behind what we do. There are many groups in society that can have a hard time. When we raise the Pride flag, it's good to say that it aligns with the attitudes we want to have in our work culture. Bjørn highlights the "Equal Value" posters that promote zero tolerance for discrimination and harassment as positive messages that are important to emphasize. At work, we can disagree and have different views, but we must show each other respect, he believes.

* This article was first published in Norwegian on June 27 2024