Norwegians to remember Breivik's victims

More than 100,000 people are expected to gather in central Oslo today to mark the first anniversary of the attacks by Anders Behring Breivik.

On July 22 last year Breivik parked a van loaded with a bomb packed with fertiliser, aluminum and diesel fuel, near the Deichman Library. It exploded, killing eight people. That same day he went on a shooting spree on Utoya Island, where he killed 69 people, including New Zealand-born girl Sharidyn Svebakk-Bohn, 14.

The European edition of the Wall Street Journal reports that the tragedy will be marked today in central Oslo with a concert and other events.

The city centre is still scarred, with streets closed and parks filled with temporary accommodation for workers repairing buildings. Thousands of tonnes of rubble have already been removed, but the clean-up is estimated to take up to 10 years and cost more than 10 billion kroner ($2 billion).

Many affected buildings, including the Prime Minister's offices and the ministry of health, are still covered in plastic, and a large area in the middle of Oslo is cordoned off with a 640m-long fence that stands about 3m high.

In a public display case near the bomb site, newspapers from July 22, 2011, still hang behind cracked glass and many clocks inside buildings remain stopped at 3:35pm, the time when Breivik's bomb went off.

Authorities still haven't decided whether to refurbish or rebuild the government buildings. And Utoya Island, about 40km away, faces a similar crossroads. Some family members of victims suggest the island should become a memorial, rather than used as a place for summer camps.

The trial of Breivik, who admitted to terrorist acts as a response to Norway's immigration policies, has dominated local media, and his August 24 sentencing promises to intensify the international spotlight.