Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
attended events today to mark 5 years since the tragic terror
attacks in 2011.
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At 9:30am CEST, the Crown Prince and Princess were present at the
commemoration in the government quarter of Oslo, where the first
attack took place. The Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg,
spoke at the memorial and said, “Time does not heal all wounds.”
She further mentioned that the Norwegian people also
honor those in terror attacks around the world, “We also remember
others in cities like Nairobi, Brussels, Paris, Orlando, Nice, and
so many others who experienced terror attacks.” From there, the
couple went to Oslo Cathedral where they attended the memorial
service at 11am CEST for those affected by the tragic events. It
was broadcast live on NRK 1. Lastly, the Crown Prince was
on Utøya island, the site of the second attack, for a memorial
at 4pm CEST. The names of the 77 people who lost their lives
on this day were read aloud in the government quarter and
on Utøya. Wreaths were laid in both locations from the royal
family, as well.
Following the horrendous attacks, King Harald and Queen Sonja
attended a memorial service in Oslo Cathedral on 24 July 2011.
Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit, and Princess
Märtha Louise attended a memorial vigil for the victims
of the attacks the following day in Oslo. The Crown Princess’
step-brother, Trond Berntsen was one of the first victims on
the island of Utøya.
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On 22 July 2011, lone-wolf terrorist, Anders
Behring Breivik attacked the Regjeringskvartalet building
in Oslo and then Utøya island
in Buskerud. He began his assault at 3:35 CEST by
detonating a car bomb in front of the H block of
the Regjeringskvartalet building, which housed the Office of
the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Justice and the Police.
Around an hour and a half later, Breivik, who was dressed as a
police officer boarded a ferry
at at Utøykaia in Tyrifjorden headed to the
island of Utøya. This island was the location of Norwegian Labour
Party’s AUF youth camp with close to 600
teenagers. He identified himself as Martin Nilsen from
the Oslo Police Department who had come to check in after the
bombing in Oslo.
Memorial at Utøya, the place of the attack on the Norwegian Labour Partys youth camp. Photo: Paalso; Paal Sorensen 2011 (Own Work) via Wikimedia Commons
After arriving to the island, Breivik began shooting at those around him on the island. He then shot at those who were attempting to flee by swimming across the lake. The assault lasted for close to an hour and a half before a police special task force arrived on the scene, at which point the perpetrator surrendered.
This was the deadliest attack on Norway since World War II with 77 deaths and at least 319 injuries. In August of 2012, Anders Breivik was convicted of causing a fatal explosion, mass murder, and terrorism. He was sentenced to the maximum sentence allowed in Norway of 21 years of imprisonment. However, the sentence can be extended if the courts decide that he is still a danger to society.
