Gotta love Norwegians: Thousands defy Norway mass killer Breivik in song

[pampango]

Labor Party youth leader Eskil Pedersen speaks as thousands of people turn up in poor weather
to participate in the singing of a popular children's song in Oslo. Around 40,000 people gathered
in Oslo to sing the song ridiculed by Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people last July,
as a show of protest against the right-wing activist's anti-immigrant views.

Facing terror with music, tens of thousands gathered in squares across Norway to sing a children's song that gunman Anders Behring Breivik claimed is being used to brainwash young Norwegians.

The defiant Facebook protest against the right-wing fanatic took place as survivors gave tearful testimony Thursday in his trial for the July 22 bombing-and-shooting rampage that killed 77 people, mostly teenagers.

Some 40,000 people converged at a central square in Oslo in the pouring rain to sing the 1970's song Children of the Rainbow — a Norwegian version of American folk music singer Pete Seeger's Rainbow Race.

Shocked by Breivik's lack of remorse for his massacre, Norwegians by and large have decided the best way to confront him is by demonstrating their commitment to everything he loathes.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/04/26/norway-breivik-oslo-trial.html

The only thing better would be if they sang outside of his cell so he would hear this powerful message.

[cali]

1. that is so moving.

[Timian]

2. The song was heard.

He heard it, Youngstorget lays only one block away from the courthouse. His lawyer also confirmed that he had heard the song, but that their conversation was confidential.

Source.

[LeftishBrit]

3. k&r

[TheManInTheMac]

4. Maybe they could sing "If I had a Hammer" to the Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs next.

The dude's going to get a max of 21 years in a prison cell that looks like a nicely appointed dorm room for killing 77 people. Norway's idea of punishment is pretty weak.

[Timian]

6. He will rot in jail

The max penalty in Norway is 21 years, prisons in Norway do indeed have a high standard. However - he will be in prison for the rest of his life. First he will get sentenced for 21 years. When his time is over, he will be labeled "too dangerous for society" and put behind bars for another 5 years. Another 5 years. Another 5 years and so on. 21years will be the penalty, the rest is custody, but will last his life. In addition - Norway's idea of punishment is to avoid it at all cost, as it does nothing good for either parties. Rehabilitation goes over punishment, convert criminals to law biding citizens etc. In this particular case, you lock the guy up forever.

Besides - Releasing him would be his death sentence, someone, somewhere, would kill him. Enough blood has been shed.

[Diclotican]

9. Timian

Timian

As you say - he Will locked up for the rest of his life - first 21 year in a prison cell - then for the rest of his life, put behind bars in custody, as "to dangerous for society" and kept under lock and key for as long as he is been seen as dangerous.. An in his case I doubt he Will be anything else than for the rest of his life...

I'm not sure if he ever was realizing into the free, if he was killed by someone.. Norwegians tend to be level-headed when it come to this things. Even when justice are not served fully... But if he was given freedom the next couple of years then he might be in danger off being murdered - as he definitely have enemies outside prison...

[Timian]

12. re: Diclotican

It is of course a speculation on my part that freedom means death for Breivik, however I have some foundation for my thesis. Criminal gangs in Norway has put a price-tag on his head, in addition, inmates in most prisons have claimed they will kill him if they get the chance. I suspect it will be hard to kill him in jail, but it seems those criminal gangs might be serious.

So it is as you say, those "enemies outside prison" will prey, and not the average Norwegian nor victims.
Google translated Norwegian article regarding criminals and Breivik, from VG.no

[Diclotican]

14. Timian

Timian

Indeed, criminal gangs did made a price tag on his head.. And it is also true that many criminals, in most prisons, from Lindesnes to Pasvik have told, that if they was to be able, they would kill him.. Something that was taken serious, and mr Breivik was put in solitary confinement for a long time. In fact I still believe him to be in one way, or another solitary confinement, because he could be in danger or being killed, or harmed at least... One of the more notorious criminal gangs - even put a 500.000 NKR price tag or circus 90.000 US dollar on his head right after it was known who did it - and police also have reported that the gang have told that the price tag could go up if he was shoot...

But the average Norwegian, or the victims would not do it, for the most part... But I'm not sure about it, because if I am not sure what I would do, if I had the misfortune of ever walk the same path as he did, if he ever would be a free man again... Most possible is that I would just walk away from him.... He would be really lonely man if ever given freedom as no one I know, would befriend him...

The way we have reacted have been pointed out as very specially for Norway - and its citizen.. Even though we do have a lot of anger - and also a lot of sadness about what happened.. Many will never really "get over" what happened at the government offices, and at Utøya.. But I am surprised how we have shown restraint, and be able to show our sadness, our anger in a way that I'm little surprised about myself... We have shown ourself, and the rest of the world that we indeed allot of restraint, against the most evil man in modern Norwegian history....

Diclotican

[marmar]

13. Well, maybe they can start a unprovoked war of choice next time....

..... do it the 'Murcan way.

[TheManInTheMac]

17. Being a guy who is fascinated looking at maps,

I'd love to see how you got from my Point A to your Point B.

[myrna minx]

5. Very moving. K&R

[suffragette]

7. K&R

[Diclotican]

8. pampango

pampango

I had planned to be there - but the dentist got in the way, so I was not able to travel to Oslo today;/.. But it is at least symbolic important, to show persons like Breivik, that we want the opposite of his world-views... And I think it was a nice form of showing our back on him..

And it was also shown on BBC world this afternoon.. So he could just continue to play that "barn av regnbuen" is a communist plot to brainwash kids in school attitude, and every time more and more Norwegian will turn out, and stand against him...

And indeed, he had "noticed the song" as his attorney put it to the press after the fact...

I strongly believe mr Breivik is a lonely pitifully man in his cell today... and hi looks more and more pitifully as time goes it sounds...

Diclotican

[bemildred]

10. Should tie him to a post, and then

all walk by and kiss him and give him big hugs.

[Scout]

11. "The only thing better would be if they sang outside of his cell "

i agree.

although in the other thread i was snarked at for expressing the same....

[JitterbugPerfume]

15. I think they are somehow better than us

in a fundamental way

[gratuitous]

16. "The best way to confront him"

Anyone high up in our government taking notes? If terrorists truly hate us for our freedom, the way we confront that is to remain free and unafraid of some bomb-throwers. Instead, we've inflicted far more damage on ourselves, economically and especially psychologically, than a handful of zealots could ever do to us.

Breivik can sit in jail for the rest of his miserable life, and witness just how impotent his little killing spree ultimately turned out to be.