Block and Bloom: In memory. In Resistance. In bloom.
av Ninthu Paramalingam and Vjolla Emiri in collaboration with Salam and Reclaim Pride Oslo
Just around the corner from Botsparken — where we gathered three years ago for a solidarity march after the terror attack — we come together again. Because now, more than ever, we know how important it is to take back the streets. Even when we’re under threat.
We gathered and marched from Botsparken to London Pub on June 25th, 2022, to occupy the streets of Oslo and to let it be known that:
We will never disappear, no matter the attack on our community.
We will never hide, no matter what visibility guidelines institutions put up to fakely secure our safety.
We were on the streets that day — mourning, holding hands, and shouting: “we’re here, we’re queer, we won’t disappear.”
Those words ring just as true today. Queer organising during fascism requires us to keep gathering, keep remembering, and to keep each other safe and sustained. The attacks are raining down on our community, yet we will do what we do best: gather together to fill the street with joy, music, resistance, and remembrance.
We’re creating space for local queer artists, DJs, and voices to raise funds for a queer mutual-aid (TBA) so that community members can rest and recover in order to bloom.
The program includes a memorial ceremony, concerts, and DJs. The event is organized by Ninthu Paramalingam and Vjolla Emiri in collaboration with Salam and Reclaim Pride Oslo.
Place: Klosterenga Festplass
Time: 16.00-23.00
Age limit: 18+
16:00–17:00
Doors open
Start the evening with DJ Tchuva. Come early and settle in.
17:00–18:00
In the Klerb We All Fam
A multireligious memorial ceremony and prayer in honor of queer resistance. Featuring Muslim, Hindu, and Christian rituals ++
18:00–19:00
Concert
Among tonight’s performers is Tuula Sharma Vassvik, they blends jazz vocals, Sámi joik, and electronic sounds to create haunting, powerful soundscapes. More names TBA
19:00–20:30
TBA
20:30–22:00
DJ D9
Oslo based DJ with Albanian roots, playing global rhythms and making ur hips shake.
22:00–23:00
DJ Machal
DJ and organizer — is the queer cousin you deserve: hyping you up and holding you down. Their love for Brazil inspired them to host this block party, and to honour that they will bring out the heavy baile.
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‼️UPDATE ON TICKETSALE‼️
We have received some funding to cover the costs for hosting the solidarity event from frifond, but that means that we cannot hold a fundraiser through ticket sales. On one hand that means the event will be 100% free for everyone with no pressure to donate, but for those who wish to contribute to the mutual aid, you can donate directly to the mutual aid fund (more info below). So if you’ve bought tickets, they have been refunded and the link for ticket sale is dismantled. See u there ❤️
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MUTUAL AID FUND FOR queer/trans community and frontline organizers
The need to build organizing capacity is at a critical stage and this mutual aid fund is meant to support and sustain grassroot organization happening in Norway.
Who is the fund for?
This is a trust-based mutual aid and anyone who is queer or trans and part of the people of the global majority**, doing organising that is in line with abolition, healing-, disability- and indigenous justice will be given funds just by asking for it (as long as there’s money in the bank). The aim for this mutual aid fund is to exist long-term and can only happen through continuous fundraisings and donations.
** The people of the global majority are loosely defined as Black, Asian, Brown, Indigenous people, or other non-white people who might be considered “racial or ethnic minorities”.
Examples of things that would be supported:
Bail for queer/trans activists doing frontline direct action for Palestine and other decolonial solidarity and abolition work
Production and logistics for demos/direct actions - e.g. venue, sound system, printing etc.
Rest and regeneration gatherings/events - e.g. grief tending sessions, somatic/body work, reading parties, community dinners, etc.
Trainings, political education, study circles
Building and maintaining community infrastructures - e.g. paying for a 1-year domain/website, secure cloud options, etc.
Individual support towards queer and trans community and frontline organisers - e.g. therapy sessions, rent support, food and other asccessibility needs
Who Is administrating?
This mutual aid fund is administered by Vjolla Emiri in partnership with ASSATA - activist library and publishing collective.
Vjolla (they/them) is a queer, trans, muslim Kosovar, artist-organiser based in Oslo. They are passionate about destroying dehumanising systems by building people-run care-structures that center dignity. Vjolla has long experience in the roles of community builder, experimenter and frontline responder. All donations will go through ASSATA’s mutual aid fund with the following VIPPS number 753129.
ASSATA is a printing press and curated library that collects works from revolutionary writers from around the world. Their overall focus is decolonization and critical examination of the social and economic structures we live under by using revolutionary knowledge. Through study, community and dialogue, they aim to center voices that have historically been excluded.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Vjolla for questions, clarity and transparency.
Why should I donate?
We are in the midst of climate collapse, multiple genocides and facism. Our organisers are feeling the huge pressure of sustaining long-term resistance. To organise for queer liberation means we organise across movements: we are seeing a growing solidarity organising for Palestine, Congo, Sudan, a list that keeps growing. We are organizing for tenants rights and the right to have affordable homes. We organize to resist the defunding of art and cultural spaces, to protect naturereserves and land territories .
We are fighting to protect the trans community from fascist targeting and crushing violence. We are seeing organizing to fight all this, to resist without falling apart.
Our work is too often limited by financial support and once we get the money that's been granted, it comes with restrictions from the funders. When our communities and organisers are under-resourced we experience more community harm which without the right support systems end up breaking communities apart. It’s a vicious cycle that we want to interrupt.
Donate to VIPPS 753129.
We organize to keep each other alive and to create systems where everything around us can thrive.
Sted
Klosterenga FestplassOslo