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Norway remembers Utoeya and Oslo victims, one year on

 

 

Norway is commemorating one year since 77 people were killed and 242 hurt in gun and bomb attacks in Oslo and on the island of Utoeya.

PM Jens Stoltenberg laid a wreath in Oslo before travelling to Utoeya, where he was joined by hundreds of people, including relatives of the dead.Anders Behring Breivik, who has admitted carrying out the two attacks, remains on trial."The killer failed; the people have won," Mr Stoltenberg said  Most of the dead were young activists with the Labour Party who had been staying on Utoeya as part of a summer camp.

National debate

Church services, a concert and other events are being held around Norway."It's been a very heavy year for all of us. Not a day has passed the tragedy has not filled the room," Mr Stoltenberg said at a wreath-laying ceremony in Oslo."The bomb and bullets were aimed at changing Norway. The Norwegian people responded by embracing our values," he said."Let us honour the dead by being happy about the life they had, and the life we share."Mr Stoltenberg is to give a speech to Labour Party youth on Utoeya before laying a wreath there at 18:45 - the time a year ago when Breivik was arrested.In the evening there will be a national memorial concert with mainly Norwegian musicians.Hundreds of relatives and survivors held a private service on Utoeya on Sunday morning.Christin Bjelland, the mother of a survivor of the shootings, said the commemorations were especially important for the bereaved."What happened here is so huge, there were so many affected, that I think it means a lot to come together for those who wish and feel the love and care between all the affected," she said.

Tolerance and democracy

Many of the buildings that were damaged in the bomb attack have not yet been fully repaired.The prime minister's office and the ministry of health buildings are still covered in plastic.

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