Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
In Cold Blood
Norway likes to think of itself as a quiet, peaceful nation on the edge
of Europe—after all, its legislators award the Nobel Peace Prize. So the
eventsofJuly22,2011—whenananti-immigration fanaticnamedAnders
BehringBreiviksetoffacarbombinOslo,killingeight,andthentraveled
to a Labor Party summer camp where he shot and killed 69 young people
and counselors—have had a profound effect on the country's psyche.
Unlike the US,Britain, orSpain, Norway hadescaped 21st-century ter-
rorism until Breivik's attack. When the public found out that the man be-
hind the bombing and gunfire was a native Norwegian—dressed in a po-
liceman'suniform—whohunteddownhisvictimsincoldblood,itbecame
a national nightmare.
Though Norwegians are often characterized as stoic, there was a huge
outpouring of grief. Bouquets flooded the square in front of Oslo Cathed-
ral. Permanent memorials will eventually be built at the sites of the tra-
gedies.
