King Harald vows to ‘stand by’ the bereaved as Norway mourns dead

NORWAY’S King Harald told citizens that freedom is stronger than fear, as the country concluded a month-long mourning period with a candlelit memorial service to the 77 people killed by a right-wing extremist.

Addressing the gathering of 6,700 people in Oslo’s Spektrum arena, King Harald said he felt for each person in the country, but that he was certain Norway would surmount its pain. “I firmly believe that we will uphold our ability to live freely and openly in our country,” he said.”

Norwegian singer-songwriter Susanne Sundfoer opened the service with a heartfelt performance of a classic Norwegian song My Little Country, which has taken on special significance since the terror attacks.

As the names of each one of the 77 victims were read out loud, some broke out in loud sobs while others sat in silence. Elsewhere in the city, flags flew at half-mast as people lay flowers and children blew soap bubbles outside the cathedral.

The ceremony in the arena, which also hosts the Nobel Peace Prize Concert, was broadcast live on national television and was attended by Norway’s prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, government members, lawmakers and leading politicians and royals from neighbouring countries.

The ceremony included performances by some of Norway’s top musical names, including 1980s pop group A-Ha, soprano Sissel Kyrkjeboe, rap group Karpe Diem and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.

The king urged Norwegians to continue caring for each other in the months ahead.

“Those of you who have suffered a loss may find that things grow harder as the outpouring of national grief gradually subsides,” he said. “That is when we as fellow human beings must make an effort to seek out those who are grieving and struggling with their lives. We must stand beside them as the spotlight of world attention fades.”

Online, people from around the world joined the commemoration of the victims by participating in a campaign to “shine a light for democracy” on social networking site Twitter.

Anders Behring Breivik has admitted killing 77 people last month when he first detonated a truck bomb outside government offices in Oslo, and then went on a meticulously planned shooting spree at a youth camp on the island of Utoeya, some 25 miles away.

Breivik, 32, denies criminal guilt because he believes the massacre was necessary to save Norway, claiming it was aimed at purging Europe of Muslims and punishing politicians who have embraced multi-culturalism. Breivik was arrested on Utoeya 90 minutes after he began his deadly attack.

Earlier this week, an Oslo court extended his isolation detention by another four weeks. On Saturday, some 1,000 survivors and relatives travelled to Utoeya, accompanied by police and medical staff, to face the painful memories of the scenes of the shootings.

Their visit followed a similar one Friday by 500 relatives of the deceased.

One of the survivors, Stine Renate Haheim, said her feelings ranged from emptiness and extreme grief to joy when she returned on Saturday to the island, used as a recreational centre by Norway’s ruling Labour Party.