OSLO, Norway (AP) — Norway opened the island of Utoya to journalists Monday for the first time since confessed mass killer Anders Behring Breivik massacred 69 people at a youth camp in July, with the ruling Labor Party vowing to ensure its idyllic retreat transcends tragedy.

Police closed the island, 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Oslo, after the July 22 attacks in which Breivik also set off a car bomb outside the prime minister’s office in central Oslo, killing eight people.

More than 150 journalists and photographers were participating in Monday’s visit to Utoya, a popular recreational center owned by the ruling Labor Party, which traditionally uses it for its youth wing’s summer retreats.

Organizers said that they would gradually open the island to the public but will request that visitors respect it as the site of the killings.

In August, about 1,000 survivors and relatives traveled to Utoya, accompanied by police and medical staff, to face the painful memories of the shootings. A day earlier, there was a similar visit by 500 relatives of victims.

Donors have pledged more than $5.5 million (32 million kroner) to renovate the island, dotted with camping grounds, football fields and basketball courts.