Sep 03 2005
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Saving Iceland
28 July 2007
In view of the police repression and slander campaign unleashed against Saving Iceland in the last few days by the Icelandic State and National Broadcaster RUV we feel it is important that this is compared with the following article from our campaign in 2005. This is particularly relevant in terms of the resurfacing threats of deportations.
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Aug 28 2005
Did the Icelandic authorities think that their terrorizing of legitimate international protesters would stamp out all resistance against their criminal destruction of the last great European wilderness?! If so, they were wrong!
Saving Iceland are delighted to report that at noon on Friday 26. August three courageous Icelandic demonstrators climbed the roof of the head offices of the Icelandic Government and tore down the cloven flag of the Icelandic state, replacing it with a banner saying in Icelandic “NO DAMNED ALUMINIUM FACTORIES”. They then proceeded to have coffee and cakes on the roof. The demonstrators are not linked with the protests in the East and in Reykjavík this summer. Read More
Aug 21 2005
Click for video: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/media/2005/08/321384.mov
A small specimen of the repression that legitimate international protesters have had to endure from the Icelandic authorities this summer.
Neither of the two civilian cop thugs ever produced any credentials or reason for the arrests. The girl was detained for several hours. The boy for 25 hours. Both arrests turned out to be completely illegal!
That same night the Icelandic cop thugs knocked unconscious a 74 year old professor of medicine who wanted to make enquires about those who had been arrested. The man was unconscious for about half an hour. The cops refused to call an ambulance for their victim.
The professor is pressing charges against the police.
Aug 21 2005
The police have completely over reacted in Iceland against people protesting, or people seen to be supporting them.
Marked and unmarked police vehicles followed people hitching along the south route for days and vehicles driving the north route were followed in to the middle of nowhere overnight. The national news has shown film of an undercover (not anymore!) car tailing people in Reykjavik round and round a roundabout!
The authorities are obviously scared of these new direct action tactics spreading in Iceland and are throwing all their (limited) resources at us. The police were made to look ridiculous as we outsmarted them at every move in the highlands, now they look even worse for over reacting.
Aug 18 2005
Deportation papers have been issued for 21 people involved in the blockade at the Karahnjukar dam construction site on the 19th July and an action at the Alcoa alluminium smelter plant in the Reyðarfjörður on the 4th August.
Aug 18 2005
On Saturday 13th August a fun and peaceful picnic was held in Parliament Square. There was street theatre including clowns and a giant evil octopus with blue hands to symbolize the web of corruption in Iceland. We shared cake and played games with the Icelandic people. Our fun was disrupted when the forces of evil came and snatched an Icelandic street performer wearing a police jacket. They also tried to take someone wearing a home-made Alcoa jacket but he was successfully de-arrested.
Aug 18 2005
Iceland Review
08/18/2005
In its Tuesday daily bulletin, KB-bank says that the benefit that Iceland derives from aluminium smelters is small. The bank supports this view by claiming that the electricity is sold at close to cost and the rate of return for hydroelectric dams is low. It also says that the economical impact is overstated in the local discourse.
Aug 12 2005
Second blockade at Kárahnjúkar :
http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,,1540970,00.html
Second blockade at Kárahnjúkar :
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=28304&ew_0_a_id=146456
First blockade at Kárahnjúkar :
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=28304&ew_0_a_id=145277
Aug 12 2005
Gudmundur Gunnarsson, leader of the Icelandic Electrician’s Union and Björk`s dad, attacks state over reaction to protests and lack of action on workers rights:
Iceland Review
8/03/2005
Father of Iceland’s most famous citizen criticized the government’s lack of initiative when worker’s rights are violated at Kárahnjúkar, the controversial hydro-electric development in East Iceland.
Impregilo, the Italian construction group building dams and tunnels at Kárahnúkar, has been allowed to break laws, for months at a time, says pop star Björk Gudmundsdóttir’s father, Gudmundur Gunnarsson, leader of the Icelandic Electrician’s Union. He believes that neither the police nor the government act when worker’s rights are violated but resources are always on hand during protests against the government-backed hydro-electric dam.
Gudmundur says that employees at the Kárahnúkar power plant have at times operated equipment without valid licenses, including driving without drivers licenses. Employees have been put in life threatening situations and violated in various ways. Impreglio has gotten away with repeatedly breaking the law which the government has chosen to ignore. Read More
