“It has been a very poignant day,” the President of the Storting said after the service at Oslo Cathedral.

“The commemoration in the government quarter and the exhibition in the newly opened 22 July information centre both made a strong impression. I hope many people, but especially the young, have a chance to visit the centre to be reminded of what happened and how we can learn from it.”  

Along with parliamentary vice-presidents Marit Nybakk and Ingjerd Schou he participated on behalf of the Storting in this year’s commemoration of the 22 July 2011 tragedy. PACE President Anne Brasseur attended as the guest of the President of the Storting.  

Brasseur delivered a powerful speech during the outdoor ceremony in front of the main high-rise government building, emphasizing that the best way to honour those who died was to continue fighting for more democracy. She also reiterated her support for the youth campaign No Hate Speech, which launched an initiative last year to make 22 July a European day to remember victims of hate crime: "I want to reiterate our strongest support to declare the 22nd of July as European Day for Victims of Hate Crime in order to show our solidarity with all those who have been victims of hate crimes and to promote a collective effort to fight against the scourge of hatred and intolerance".  

Joint declaration against hate speech, for democracy

President of the Storting Olemic Thommessen and Anne Brasseur were both present last year when the No Hate Speech youth campaign was launched. To express their continued commitment, they issued a joint declaration condemning hate speech and asserting the necessity of more democracy. The statement was published on the website of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.  

“It is important to keep up the work of preventing hate speech in general, and hate speech online and in social media in particular,” the President of the Storting said in an interview. “To see non-profit organizations and civil society working hard to raise awareness about these issues is a great inspiration and motivation for us parliamentarians. We should support their efforts and continue working with our colleagues in other countries to address the issues involved.”