An estimated 1,000 people attended a commemoration for the victims of the Copenhagen shootings last week at the Danish capital's synagogue, among them Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt, several members of her Cabinet, and the heads of the main political parties in Denmark.
Jewish Community President Dan Asmussen, Chief Rabbi Melchior and Thorning Schmidt addressed the ceremony, as did the sister and friends of Dan Uzan, the 37-year-old community member who was shot by a jihadist terrorist outside the synagogue 10 days ago. World Jewish Congress Vice-President Vivian Wineman represented the WJC at the event.
Thorning Schmidt emphasized the commitment by the Danish government to protect its Jewish citizens while Asmussen strongly urged the government to improve security measures.
Danish police announced that they are presently developing a long-term plan to ensure the safety of the Jewish community.
Also on Tuesday, hundreds of mourners including the the Danish prime minister attended the funeral of the filmmaker who was gunned down as he tried to stop a massacre in Copenhagen last week. Finn Noergaard, 55, was shot dead during a seminar on free speech and Islam. He was the first of two victims by the gunman who hours later also killed Dan Uzan outside the synagogue.
The funeral for Dan Uzan was held last week at the Jewish cemetery of Copenhagen. Uzan was a volunteer guard who was killed outside the city's main synagogue whilst guarding a Bat Mitzvah ceremony. Hundreds of mourners attended that funeral as well, including Thorning-Schmidt.
The prime minister had said earlier in the week that “an attack on the Jews of Denmark is an attack on Denmark.”
Photo: Jonas Karpantschof
