“Freedom is stronger than fear,” King Harald told Norwegians on Sunday, hoping to unite a nation shattered by an anti-immigration zealot who killed 77, mostly young, people in two attacks.
The King spoke, often in a trembling voice, at a national ceremony of remembrance for those killed last month by Anders Behring Breivik who detonated a car bomb in Oslo and shot youths at a Labour Party camp on Utøya island outside the capital.
Relatives sobbed when the names of the dead were read out one by one, while pictures of their smiling faces were projected on a screen.
“I maintain a belief that freedom is stronger than fear,” said King Harald.
“It is good to be together at this time … As a father, grandfather and spouse I can only begin to sense some of the pain you feel. As king of the nation I feel for every one of you.”
Dressed in a black suit and with tears in his eyes, the 74-year-old monarch praised the work of emergency workers and others who helped save lives on July 22.
About 6 700 people attended the ceremony, including relatives of the victims, survivors, police, firemen and emergency personnel who dealt with the attacks.
The Norwegian royal family, the presidents of Finland and Iceland, Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik attended too, as did all the Nordic prime ministers and diplomats from many countries.
When the victims’ names were read out by five Norwegian actors, relatives could not hold back their tears. A man who seemed to shout out one of the victims’ names was helped out of the hall.
Stop the clock
“Today we are stopping the clock to remember the dead. We are doing so as a nation,” said Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, who received lengthy applause and a standing ovation.
Stoltenberg, who has been praised across the country for the way he dealt with the aftermath of the attacks, said Norway must stand firm behind its democratic values to fight extremism.
“We must invite in those who have gone astray. We must oppose those who want to use violence,” he said. “We must meet them with all the arms of democracy.”
But in a sign that Norway’s open society may change, the prime minister said there must be more security.
“Good preparation creates security. Police in the streets creates security. Controls. Exercises. Equipment,” he said. “We must do all this.”
Security at the concert hall was tighter than usual, with police using sniffer dogs at the entrance.
“The ceremony was worthy and beautiful, but it was tough as well, especially when all the faces of the victims were projected,” said Monica Andersen (36) a relative of a young man killed on Utøya island.
“It was good to see that the commitment of all those who died meant something.”
Sunday’s ceremony also featured performances by pop band a-ha and other Norwegian artists. One performer said he felt a common bond with the rest of the country since the attacks
“I am a Muslim, he is a Hindu and the rest of my friends look like a pack of M&M’s,” said Magdi Ytreeide Abdelmaguid, one half of Norwegian rap band Karpe Diem. “But I have never in my life felt so similar.”
Before the concert, the Norwegian royal family and some government ministers laid flowers at Oslo’s cathedral.
The ceremony may help the survivors begin to move forward, said Adrian Pracon, who was wounded by Breivik on Utoeya island.
“It will be good for people to have a final, national memorial — for now,” the 21-year-old said. “It will never be really final because we will be reminded of what happened every day, every year.”
“But right now this could maybe close up this whole thing and maybe let us, as participants, say ‘we are now moving on’. We need to move on. – Reuters