Terror attack anniversary: Copenhagen's Krystalgade still under police surveillance ten years later
A decade has passed since the chilling terror attacks that ravaged Copenhagen in 2015. It all started on a free speech debate night at Krudttønden, where a radical Islamist gunman took the life of film director Finn Nørgaard and left three cops wounded. Hours later, he stormed the Great Synagogue on Krystalgade, taking the life of security guard Dan Uzan and injuring more officers. The ruthless attacker, Omar El-Hussein, was ultimately taken down by police near Nørrebro Station.
El-Hussein was inspired by jihadist ideology, as shown in a Facebook post where he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) terror group. Today, round-the-clock police security persists on Krystalgade, with no plans to scale it back. Dan Rosenberg Asmussen, chairperson of the Jewish Community in Denmark, shared that the high level of security provides a strong sense of safety for the Jewish community.
Asmussen remembers being in that very position when the brutal attacks unfolded. It's a reminder that the intended target of the Krystalgade shooting was artist and Muhammad cartoonist Lars Vilks, who miraculously escaped unharmed. The gunman escaped shortly after the synagogue attack and attacked again shortly after midnight, only to be gunned down by police near Nørrebro Station.
Asmussen expresses feelings of safety and gratitude for the high security around Jewish institutions. However, he hopes that the round-the-clock security will become redundant one day. This may not be the case for the foreseeable future, given the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly the October 7th, 2023 terror attack on Israel by militant Palestinian group Hamas and subsequent Israeli war on Gaza.
Reports of increasing antisemitic incidents have surfaced since the conflict erupted. Asmussen shares that the terror threat is unlikely to vanish anytime soon. But, the Jewish community is working tirelessly through dialogue and education to combat prejudices and hatred that foster terrorism. The Danish police intelligence service PET declined to disclose the number of potential attacks that have been prevented in Denmark since the attacks of February 14th and 15th, 2015.
Memorial occasions for the tenth anniversary of the attacks will feature a conference at the Christiansborg parliament, held by the Finn Nørgaard Association, and a memorial in Krystalgade organized by the Friends of Dan Uzan.
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- The Krudttønden art debate night, marked by a vicious attack in Copenhagen in 2015, was the starting point of a series of horrific events that disclosed the presence of radical Islamist forces in the city.
- The general-news wire reported that the terror attack on Copenhagen in 2015, mainly known for its aftermath in Krystalgade and Krudttønden, was not an isolated incident, as it was inspired by jihadist ideology and related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
- Danish politician and Jewry community leader Dan Rosenberg Asmussen, who miraculously escaped the terror attack at Krudttønden a decade ago, repeatedly emphasized the importance of dialogue and education to combat prejudices and hatred that fuel terrorism.
- Although the news of increasing antisemitic incidents surfaced after the conflict in the Middle East erupted, particularly the October 7th, 2023 terror attack by Hamas on Israel, Asmussen maintains that tensions have always existed and will likely continue to persist.
- The upcoming tenth anniversary of the chilling terror attacks in Copenhagen will be commemorated through a conference at the Christiansborg parliament and a memorial in Krystalgade, which underscore the need for continued vigilance against the threat of terrorism.
