Brawling Over Food at the Asylum Center

Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer sends this translation from yesterday’s Dagbladet. It concerns a free-for-all that occurred on Saturday night at an asylum center about thirty miles southeast of Oslo:

Serious injuries in brawl at asylum center

Two people sent to hospital

Twenty people armed with knives and baseball bats involved in a brawl in Mysen.

At least two people were injured in a brawl, in which weapons were used, at the local asylum center in Mysen last night according to Smaalenene.no.

Security personnel from Securitas have been assigned to the center to ensure that the situation doesn’t escalate tonight.

One police patrol car and four ambulances were dispatched to the asylum center, which is situated in Vagduveien [Vagdu street].

One of the individuals involved in the brawl received serious lacerations to his head. Another one received fractures after being hit with a baseball bat. One of the injured was taken to a hospital in Oslo, another one to a hospital in Fredrikstad, and a third individual received medical attention at the asylum center.

Six people apprehended

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Six people have been apprehended in connection with the brawl according to NRK [Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation].

“The brawl started when supper was being served,” according to police sergeant Anders Oksvold from Follo Police department.

Argument over meals

There have been several altercations in the past concerning the distribution of the meals at the center. Last October police had to dispatch several police patrols to the center on separate occasions after altercations occurred in the canteen in the asylum center. In one incident police apprehended four individuals aged 17 to 18, according to NTB [Norwegian News Agency].

Afghans and Somalis were involved in those altercations too

“It has never been this bad before.”

A similar incident occurred in September, according to an individual who lives next door to the asylum center. He told Smaalenes Avis [local newspaper] that brawls at the center, which is situated in a residential area, is a common occurrence, but that things have never been this bad before.

Police were first contacted at 21.15.

At least 20 residents at the center started arguing over trivial things, and this caused the brawl. Weapons such as baseball bats, knives, weights, and barbells from the fitness studio were used in the ensuing commotion according to the local paper.

Tense for some time now

There have been tensions among residents from various ethnic groups for some time now.

Neighboring police department were notified of the situation, and local residents were urged to stay away.

“We were initially asked by the Follo police department to assist them, but this request was later cancelled. We received the request at 21.30,” the head of operations at Østfold police department told Dagbladet.

Jasim Salim, second in command at the asylum center, told smaalenene.no that there have been ongoing tensions between two of the factions at the center.

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