norway jens stoltenberg Image 1
NORWAY is commemorating the 77 victims of a bomb and gun massacre that shocked the peaceful nation one year ago.
Anders Behring Breivik, a 33-year-old far-right fanatic, has admitted to the attacks on July 22 last year – a bombing of the government headquarters in Oslo, killing eight, and a shooting rampage that left 69 dead at the left-wing Labour Party’s youth camp on Utoya island.
In a wreath-laying ceremony at the bomb site today, prime minister Jens Stoltenberg said Breivik had not succeeded in his declared goal of destroying Norway’s commitment to being an inclusive, multicultural society.
Mr Stoltenberg said: “The bomb and the gun shots were meant to change Norway. The Norwegian people answered by embracing our values. The perpetrator lost. The people won.”
In Oslo, tarps still cover the windows of bomb-damaged buildings on the plaza, and large cement road blocks stop all but pedestrian traffic.
Continues >>
1 comment:
On the first anniversary of the mass murders in Norway by a right- wing extremist, I have my deepest sympathy for the families of the victims and their great loss. Throughout the course of the year the Norwegian state, society and its judicial system have valiantly upheld the democratic values despite the barbaric act of genocide and destruction by Breivik.
The Norwegian judicial system has shown how even a most vicious murderer like Breivik should have a fair trial and his rights safeguarded and protected. This judicial approach is a noble example for many countries across the globe as to how the judiciary should function without being prejudiced by the enormity of the crime of an offender.
Post a Comment