Oslo in mourning

We decided to walk down to central Oslo this afternoon, in need of some kind of closure, and to put flowers outside the cathedral at Stortorvet in remembrance of the possibly 97 victims of yesterday’s nightmare. His Majesty’s royal guard is assisting the safe-guarding of the blast site as well as the Stortinget (parliament), which adds a certain occupational atmosphere to the city. But the people were carrying flowers everywhere, some were crying, others smiling supportingly. It was a nice experience. Oslo really sticks together in times of need. Apparently, the crown prince was there too with his wife and children about the same time as us.

The royal guard had been called in to assist the police in safe keeping the blast site

The situation is beginning to dawn on us. One man called Anders Behring Breivik armed to the teeth with guns and explosives detonated a fertilizer bomb in a van next to the governmental buildings in downtown Oslo. He then raced to Utøya where he paraded as a police officer. People were gathered to receive news about the bomb downtown, and made easy targets for the killer. There were some six hundred kids gathered on the island, which is really small. He was methodical, and shot each person twice. The death toll is expected to be 97 murdered, 7 from the blast, the rest are frightened kids trapped on a small island or drowned trying to escape. It is a deed so terrible I don’t want to imagine it.

It was good though to go downtown and see other people feeling the same way, and feeling the solidarity between all citizens of Oslo and indeed the democratic world. This act of terrorism was done from what we know now to be fascist motivations. Breivik calls himself a nationalist, which indicates extreme right-wing sympathies. I hope the fact that it was a so-called ethnic Norwegian and a conservative Christian can help us focus on what’s what in the coming years. It doesn’t matter if you call yourself Christian, Hindu, Jewish or Muslim, nor the what colour your skin pigmentation has. If you’re a fascist then that’s what you are, and you’re fighting a losing battle, ’cause no one is fighting with you. Why would anyone support an ideology where people are worthless, as opposed to one where we recognize the individual person’s inalienable rights? One in which we’ll help and take care of each other regardless of political or religious opinions. The argument is not won by intellect or logic, only at gunpoint. We will kill fascism with the free word, in whatever fashion it may appear.

As our King Harald said in his speech: «I believe freedom is greater than fear.»