– I hope that the memorial site here on Utøykaia can contribute to new generations learning from this dark story. And I hope it will be a place for all of us, said a clearly affected Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. He gave a speech during the opening of the memorial site on Utøykaia today. Interrupt during opening. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Crown Prince Haakon and Jens Stoltenberg are among those present, in addition to around 170 survivors and even more affected. To them, Støre said: – I think of you almost every day, and especially on a day like this. We can not understand the pain you are still feeling. The memorial site has 77 bronze columns – one for each of the victims from the attacks on July 22, 2011. The names of the victims are engraved on the 77 bronze columns. Photo: Christian Ziegler Remme / news It is Statsbygg that is behind the expensive memorial site, which was originally intended for the tenth anniversary last year. – It has taken a long time, and I’m sorry for that, Støre said in his speech. Despite the fact that there have been disagreements about where the memorial site should be located, the mayor of Hole, Syver Leivestad, states in his speech: – No one has been against a national memorial in Hole after the unimaginable terrorist incident. AUF leader was on Utøya Astrid Hoem is the leader of AUF, and gave a speech during the opening. – Looking at Utøya from here is painful. It reminds us that they stayed. They’re not here. They did not reach the quay, she said. Hoem is also one of the survivors of the Utøya terror in 2011. – On the quay, someone saved their lives, but it was also here that they did not arrive safely in port. This is where we had to leave them, she said.
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The memorial site after July 22 opened: – I hope it will be a place for all of us, says Støre.
