Norwegians raised their voices in unison on Thursday to get under the skin of admitted mass killer Anders Behring Breivik.
An estimated 40,000 people turned out in central Oslo's Youngstorget square to sing "Children of the Rainbow," a Norwegian version of "My Rainbow Race," written by American folk singer Pete Seeger.
During his trial for the killings of 77 people last summer, Breivik cited the song as an example of Marxist influence on Norwegian culture.
The Norwegian version of the song describes a "World where – every sister and every brother – shall live together – like small children of the rainbow," according to a report in the Norway Post.
Breivik, whose trial in Oslo City Court began last week, boasts of being an ultranationalist who killed his victims to fight multiculturalism in Norway.
Thursday's event, which included a march to the courthouse to drop roses outside, was “a beautiful, touching scene,” said Geir Engebretsen, the court chief justice in charge of Breivik's terror trial, according to a report on Views and News from Norway.
"It’s a very moving manifestation of Norwegian culture," Engebretsen said, according to the report, which cited Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
The idea for Thursday's singing statement came from two women, Christine Bar and Lili Hjonnevag, who became upset with Breivik's derision of the song and posted a call on social media for others to join them in singing it on the square, Views and News reported. They expected a few dozen people, the report said.
But by Tuesday, 4,000 people had accepted their Facebook invitation - and then 10 times that many turned up Thursday.
“I think this just shows that people felt a need to show their feelings, to make an expression of how they value the Norwegian democracy. It’s fantastic," Views and News quoted Labour Party Secretary Raymond Johansen as telling NRK.
Culture ministers from Sweden, Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Iceland joined in the song, the Norway Post reported.
Lillebjorn Nilsen, who wrote the Norwegian version of the Seeger song, led the crowd in singing both the Norwegian and English versions, according to the Views and News report.
They should play that on repeat in his prison cell for the rest of his life.
He will be facing at most 30 years in prison. They don't really do life sentences over there.
...what if he requests ear plugs ???
no butt ones, he'll be in jail.
Norway rocks!!!
This song will become a serious earworm for the killer.
The Nazis did put the pure race above the law to destroy democracy. They almost succeeded. By now science has proved us to be one race, all 7 billions. Now the Nazis try to put what they call pure culture above the law.
As long as we respect the law telling us all people have equal rights, then different cultures can live side by side.
The theory about pure races was based on ignorance. The theory about pure culture is also based on ignorance. Nazis base their hate on ignorance. The Norwegian mass killer has told us so in Court.
amen. but the norways are a little uptight and cold
they need a lil blood that can dance and sing and don't burn so easy if u know what i sayin
Right on! The only pure thing is a Planck volume, and quantum mechanics puts that in doubt.
No one can take our freedom, our values and our democracy away. An inclusive democracy or an all white ABB fascist state? Hm..... Gimme a minute on that one... Yep, reckon I`ll be goin for democracy! That song might not hit the charts...... but it is OUR song. Always has been, always will be. The singing was also to show we will never forget the ones who`s lives were taken. May the families and the close ones get some kind of comfort and feel the people`s support also through that little song. Det er vi som vinner (It`s we who win)
This is norway as we want to appear. But there is more brewing under the surface. The so caled democraty we are so proud of is a big lie. Afther the atack against AP. there has been an total lock down of all freespeeking medias. You get moderated ewry time you post a coment thats not main streem. And the song was yust mentioned in court as one of manny exampesl. ABB Is getting all the publisity he expected, also hes will to get more sewere punnishments in norway, is probably right around the corner. Hence part of hes predictions are allready happening. So do we realy sing for peace?
We sing because so that you, his freinds in hateing will know that you can not change us. What you are saying is wrong, and we know it. We will not be apart of the hate. We choose our own way. We choose democracy, we choose human rights, we choose equality. And even after you bomb us and kill our children we will still choose love, not hate. And we will go out into our streets. And we will fill them with roses. And we will sing about children, rainbows and flowers. And you can not stop us... It is our country. We choose love...
It's too bad Norway doesn't have a death penalty. I'd love to make sure the last thing he ever saw was a multicultural group of people pulling the switch.
The laws says you are not allowed guns.Please,let me know how many of you wish that you or someone that was there would have been packing illegal and would have stopped that sicko?
This guy was busy getting plastic surgery and living with his mum. Who cares what he thinks. Nice show of solidarity by the Norwegian's.
I suppose listening to songs you hate can be a form of capital punishment, but I prefer the old tried and true methods. You know, hanging, electric chair, injections of poison, the rack, firing squad, trial by fire, trial by water, the guillotine, a chop from a very big axe... my gosh, we sure have a lot of methods to end our days.
Damn... almost brings a tear to your eyes... Humanity might have a chance when song is used as punishment by good and thoughtful people.
This is not about Marxism vs. Capitalism. It is about a nut. You are a nut if you argue anything other than that. Period.
Wait...what about Beethovan's 9th. I am for punishing a nut.
Off with his head,,, an eye for an eye!!!