Maren Sømme memorial cancelled in Oslo after police deny advising cancellation

A planned memorial for Maren Sømme, a 30‑year‑old woman killed in Rogaland, was called off in Oslo. The event had drawn participants from across the political spectrum, but tensions rose when organizer Espen Teigen was uninvited and AP‑politician Maria Qureshi announced she would not attend. The local organizer claimed the decision to cancel was made “in consultation with the police,” a claim the police later refuted, stating they did not advise the cancellation.

The suspect, a man in his 30s from Afghanistan, had previously been convicted of violence and was already under investigation for assault against Sømme before being charged with her murder. The controversy highlighted divisions over how the case and related public gatherings are handled, with left‑wing and right‑wing politicians publicly commenting on the matter.