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Norwegians sing to annoy mass killer
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.
Oslo 30 years from now = Mogadishu today
You mean the narrow minded, ignorant, intolerent, sectarian people will take over?
van thirthy yrs from now-screaming and crying in hell for being such a hateful racist.
When was the last time you visted Oslo?
mcrusa - compare Paris and London 30 years ago to today. I rest my case.
We should sing that song at the RNC and see how crazy the republicants get.
AMEN!!!
I am of Swedish et Norsk descent, and I am truly proud of my country where my Bestemor came from. Nothing but Class in this country! (btw, i also love all the blond hair, et blue eyed babes in this country!} 🙂
My Grandfather was born in Oslo, and when I was a boy, he used to tell me, "A thousand Swedes ran through the weeds... chased by one Norwegian!"
Rock On Norway.
That'll teach him.
Would be the same be done if all these children were *aborted* ?
A mass crowd *condemning* the MASS killings of human life that have taken place to this day!
Take your hate elsewhere you freak...
I sincerely wish you were *aborted*
BOOORING.......Trust a "right-to-lifer" to compare this story to abortion. DUMB, DUMBER AND ABSOLUTELY DUMBEST.
What? Try to, at least somewhat, stick to the topic please.
Really off topic Mary. Your agenda is not today's agenda.
The anti abortionists in the US use the same methods as Breivik by blowing up clinics and killing doctors.
Open a window will you!?
Probably not. Abortion is a non-issue in Norway. Welcome to the future, where knowledge and logic rules the land.
singing to you Mary
What possible connection is there between your anti-choice advocacy and the beautiful response of the Norwegians (my father was one, and I lived in Oslo decades ago) uplifting and supporting eachother and promoting acceptance and tolerance of all cultures, religions, and ethnicities?
lol, yup Van, multiculturalism is a complete failure, i can't find even one single example of it being successful anywhere in the world. multiculturalism = distrust and hatred
In WW2 when my father was in military service working for a certain Austrian ex-corporal , he was invited to invade Norway. It was a pushover apparently. Few of the Norwegians had Breitvik's courage. The majority were the passive lemmings of the type whom one would expect nowadays to be found singing "Rainbow children", "Kumbaya' or in a few years time the 'Shahada Islamic call to prayer'?
Josh- Have you been to Brazil? Muslims and Jews dance the samba together, honey!
@TheGreenMan – where does green come in? I thought the Nazi colors were red, black, and white. The Norwegians in WWII were betrayed by some of their leaders, but, given that, they resisted admirably. And here they are today. Where is the little corporal?
Yeah Josh, I completely agree, just look at those villains...or indians as they were referred to in the old days.
Just imagine, dare to oppose immigra...sorry, americans that came over in their boats, on their rafts, staking claim in virgin-territory.
Did you ever hear about the elephant in the china-shop?
@ the green man. Go read a history book and stop spreading your lies. Did you know the Nazis first loss in the second world war came in Norway? Both my grandfathers were at the battle of Narvik. You have no idea what you're talking about you spammer you
Singing "Rainbow Children" in Norwegian. is enough to annoy anyone? not just Breivik
My thought, too. Did they all skip work/school or are things the same there as the US where only the "rich" work and pay taxes and everyone else lives off the government.
I can see from several comments you have made that this song also gets under your skin. On the WW2 comment I would like to remind you of this:
"If there is anyone who still wonders why this war is being fought, let him look to Norway. If there is anyone who has any delusions that this war could have been averted, let him look to Norway; and if there is anyone who doubts the democratic will to win, again I say, let him look to Norway."
K3Citizen......I thought the same thing. We must be anti-american. I want Ted Nugent to sing the song at the RNC-then maybe his draft dodging unpatriotic head would explode too (he's close enough to thinking like Anders Behring Breivik to be bothered by the song!).
They're like the Whos in Whoville.
We're such an angry society over here....
That is a fantastic song. I was lucky enough to see Pete Seeger sing last month and shake his hand, he is 93 years old and still kicking.
I'd be worried about anyone who's there singing today. They will inevitably free this lunatic because they believe in giving their criminals more rights than their victims. And he will simply suit up again.
@Nick: Of course he will not be released. True, Norway stopped practising the death penalty in 1902, but Breivik will stay in jail or a high security mental facility for life. (Depending on whether he is found insane.)
wow...what a statement...I don't think you have read anything about our law.
You need to brush up your knowledge of how the criminal system works in Norway. Regardsless of he is found to be pschycotic or sane he will never be out on the streets again.
I love it! Best story of the day.
Well done.