Norwegians by the thousands gathered at sombre memorials to the 77 people killed a year ago by far-right gunman Anders Behring Breivik to show his bloody rampage had done nothing to change their dedication to an open society.

The Norwegian far-right gunman who massacred 77 people last summer gave a clenched-fist salute, smirked at the court, and pleaded not guilty on the first day of a trial that threatens to turn into a “circus” showcasing his anti-Islamic views.