Norway has begun to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the far-right attacker Anders Behring Breivik Kill 77 people This is the worst violent act in the country since World War II.

On July 22, 2011, Breivik detonated a car bomb outside the prime minister’s office in the capital Oslo, killing 8 people. Later that day, he went to Utoya Island as a police officer and carried out a frantic shooting at the Labor Party Youth Camp, killing 69 people, most of them teenagers.

Thursday’s commemoration began with a memorial service outside what was once the prime minister’s office-since the attack, it has become an empty shell due to disagreements over how to rebuild it.

The ceremony was broadcast on television. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, survivors and relatives of the victims, political leaders and members of the Norwegian royal family attended the ceremony.

On Thursday, commemorative events were held across Norway, and many members of the public participated in the National Day anniversary. [Beate Oma Dahle/NTB via Reuters]

Outside the warning zone, passers-by stopped to listen, and some hugged as they read the names of the victims.

“Looking back on that dark day in July 10 years ago, I feel sad. Today, we mourn together. Today, we remember 77 who never came home,” Solberg said in a speech delivered on the spot.

“The terrorist attack on July 22 was an attack on our democracy,” she added, and then called on the Norwegians to build “a strong fortress against intolerance and hate speech for the sake of sympathy and tolerance” and “don’t let hatred be opposed.” .

“Extremism still exists”

BreivikHe is 42 years old and is serving 21 years in prison. If he is deemed to pose a continuous threat to society, he can be extended indefinitely. He will probably spend the rest of his life in prison.

Over the years, the debate about his attack has changed. The survivors, many of whom were teenagers at the time of the attack, are now determined to fight the far-right ideology that inspired him.

This marked that Norway’s reaction at the time deviated from the then Labor Prime Minister and current NATO Chairman Jens Stoltenberg’s promise to respond in a “more democratic” and “more humane” manner.

The victims of the Breivik attack in 2011 came from all over Norway, and various monuments to commemorate them were scattered all over the country [File: Odd Andersen/AFP]

Astrid Holm, leader of the Labor Youth Organization AUF and a survivor of the Utoya massacre, said at a commemorative event on Thursday that Norway had “not stopped its hatred” ten years after the Breivik attack.

“Ten years later, we need to be honest… Right-wing extremism still exists,” she said.

“They live on the Internet, they live at the dinner table, they live by many people [other] People listen. “

The Norwegian Intelligence Agency issued a warning

Home also urged Norway, which has a population of 5.3 million, to face racism fully in order to eradicate it from society and avoid a repeat of the tragedy.

She said: “If we do this now, we may be able to fulfill our promise of’no longer held on July 22′.”

“The terrorist is one of us. But he did not define who we are-we do.”

Before Home’s remarks, the Norwegian Intelligence Service (PST) warned this week that the “extreme right-wing ideas” that inspired Breivik “remain the driving force of right-wing extremists at home and abroad”.

Breivik is serving a 21-year sentence and can be extended indefinitely if he is deemed to pose a continuing threat to society [File: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP]

PST stated that Breivik’s actions have triggered several violent attacks in the past 10 years, including attacks on mosques in the New Zealand cities of Christchurch and Oslo.

On Tuesday, the memorial to Benjamin Hermansen, who was killed by neo-Nazis in 2001, was defaced with the slogan “Brevik was right.”

The behavior was strongly condemned by politicians and the public, and is currently under police investigation.

Long-term trauma

The initial event on Thursday was followed by a ceremony at Oslo Cathedral, and after noon local time, church bells across the country rang for five minutes.

Utoya’s ceremony is scheduled to take place in the late afternoon.

The day’s commemoration will end with an evening ceremony in Oslo, when Norwegian King Harald will deliver a speech.

A group of survivors set up a Twitter account- @aldriglemme (Never forget)-Repost a tweet about an attack that occurred 10 years ago.

Breivik’s attack shocked Norway, which has a population of 5.3 million. It was the worst massacre in peacetime history. [File: Frank Augstein/AP Photo]

For many survivors, the psychological trauma of the 2011 event is still an open wound.

A recent paper published by the Norwegian Center for the Study of Violence and Trauma Stress found that one-third of them still suffered from serious health problems last year, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and headaches.

“If someone tells me today they want me to die, I will take it very seriously,” survivor Irene Estrange told AFP.