Norway Shooting, Bombing: Memorial Service for Victims Held in Oslo
One week after 76 people were killed in the "lone wolf" terror attacks that shocked the world, Norway is paying tribute to the victims of the attack in a memorial service in Oslo Friday.
The memorial service was organized by the youth movement of the Labour Party, the same youth movement that Breivik attacked on the island of Utoya.
Breivik has admitted to the attack but has pleaded not guilty. He justifies his attack based upon his claims that the parent party to the youth movement, the Labour party, allowed for the “Islamization of western Europe.”
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He called last Friday's bombing and shooting "gruesome but necessary."
Today also marked the first funerals of victims from the attack. The funerals have taken place in the city of Oslo and in the southern town of Hamar allowing the victims to finally be put to rest.
The victims laid to rest are Bano Rashid, a Kurdish Iraqi refugee, and Ismali Haji Ahmed.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called the victims of the massacre "heros," and said the government’s response to the right-wing extremist terrorism would be "more democracy."
At the memorial service, Stoltenberg added, "Out of our grief a much stronger unity will arise. We are going to honor and celebrate our heroes, but most of all we are going to stay true to our ideas and our values."
In a symbol of solidarity, Stoltenberg is set to visit a mosque on Friday as well.
The funerals and memorial come on the day where Breivik faces his second round of questioning by police. The first round of questioning was last week, a day after the attacks, and lasted seven hours.
Today, police want to work with Breivik to determine if there is any added potential danger coming from him.
On Thursday, it was concluded by Norway's top police official that Breivik had indeed acted alone in orchestrating and carrying out the shooting rampage and car bombing.
The official search for victims on Utoya has ended. However, on the police website, it is indicated the search around the waters of Utoya is ongoing.
Norway has identified all 76 victims and the names of 41 have been released thus far.
