Live from the streets of Oslo, Norway.

Dateline: 7-25-11

The following report is from my dear friend, Liv Evensen. Like all Norwegians she has been shocked and saddened by the terrorism committed in her country, and more determined than ever to heal the wounds caused by this senseless act. ~PMH

I just returned home from downtown... have been glued to the telly for two days,and now I wanted to join all of us here...in a rose ceremony, a rose parade through town.. We all met in front of city hall and was going to walk to the main church where there is a sea of flowers and lights already. We were about 200,000 people or more. We didn't make it to the church, we all carried roses, we all stayed in front of behind up all the side streets of the city hall and listened to the prime minister, the leader of the youth movement and various music and we waved our...roses every time we agreed to something and it was very often and very beautiful....

We left the roses all around town...stuck in construction site fences, on street corners, around statues, floating in the city's fountains and lining these fountains..so beautiful. I walked with people to the National Theatre, three ambulances were parked there and they were covered in appreciation by people...with roses...further up on the main street people had stuck the roses down in cracks in the street and at the parliament hill the gates were covered by roses... even further up the street, where the devastated government buildings are people had covered the street in...roses...and down the street to the main church, in front of it, the sea of flowers and lit candles....but before that at a temporarily erected fence to fence people off from the street devastated the most, the fence was covered... with roses. People are hugging each other and speaking to each other and rooting for even more tolerance, even more freedom of speech, even more love and caring....and people, most people seem happy at being able to pay such deep respects for our Labour Party who lost so many youths in their youth organization. The Crown Prince said it: Today our streets are covered by love. We will not be silenced. We will not hide our sadness nor grief, some will need longer time than others, but our streets are covered by love. This is the effect that the bombing has had on us...

The Mayor of Oslo said that we would punish the culprit by becoming more.... open, tolerant, generous and warm. As a nation, as a city, as a people...Some people say the feel that Norwegians are kind of "aloof and not so outgoing", but we are...when it really really counts....

I was interviewed at the telly from the Faraoe Islands, lol, and told them that I had hoped that Norway would shine her face of peace and love to a world in great changes. That is what we are doing. And the politicians are kinder to each other, they have decided to postpone the election for one month in reverence for the grief of the Labour Party. I have hugged two politicians today:))...that too:))...

Thought I would let you know....in kindness and care and much love, Liv