A row of Palestine actions and protests in Iceland

A big demonstration took place downtown Reykjavík, Iceland’s capital on Tuesday, December 30th 2008. C.a. 1.000 people turned up to show solidarity with the people living in Palestine. The demonstration was organized by Iceland-Palestine, an organization that for 22 years has been fighting against the occupation and mass murders in Palestine.

The demonstration was peaceful but angry. Several speeches were held and Palestinians living in Iceland sang Palestinian songs. The main demand was that the Icelandic government would both denounce the Israeli attacks publicly and cut on all political relations with the Israeli state until the current attacks have been stopped.

The Icelandic government is not famous for denouncing wars or attacks done by US friendly forces or to cut on political relations. In this case, the government has even used that history as an excuse for not denouncing the situation and cut on the relations. Few ministers have spoken publicly about the situation in Palestine but none of them one behalf of the whole government. Most of them speak about the situation as the Palestinians and Israelis stand even.

After the big demonstration a smaller independent group hurried to the American embassy where more than 25 policemen was already protecting the house. Shoes and other objects were thrown at the embassy and angry slogans against US’s involvement in Palestine were shouted. At one time the protesters counted out loud up to 365, since that number was at that time the number of Palestinians that had been murdered during the current attacks. The protest lasted for more than 2 hours and the embassy’s workers had to leave the building by a back door.

Last Thursday, January 8th, Iceland-Palestine had organized another protest, this time in front of the US embassy. Around 500 people turned up to protest against US’s support of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.

The next day, more than 20 people went to the Icelandic Ministry of foreign affairs to demand that the Icelandic government would cut on all political relations with Israel. “700 murdered – Nothing done!” was the slogan of the day and red paint was thrown on the building’s doors and windows. Even though several policemen had already turned up to the ministry before the people, they did not manage to stop the action from happening or arrest anybody.

On Saturday, January 10th during a weekly demonstration against the Icelandic government, a political performance took place. The demonstration takes place on a square in front of the parliament and on the square stands a statute of Jón Sigurðsson, who is Iceland’s so called independence hero and known for his words: “We all protest!” During the protest people climbed the statue and place a Keffiyeh cloth on Sigurðsson, in solidarity with the Palestinian resistance.

A big public meeting took place later that same day, where people were informed about the current situation in Palestine, the history of the oppression and how we can donate to the struggle for freedom. Afterwards people gathered by a pond downtown were candles were floated in the memory of those who have died in the Israeli attacks.

And finally today, Monday January 12th, a performance and protest happened in front of the government’s office in Reykjavík. Early morning during the time when people come to work, a group of 50 people had gathered by the office with banners saying, “The holocaust repeated!” Baby dolls were laid on the stairs of the building, red paint thrown on them and on the house and bombs and fireworks exploded. Those who organized the performance said this was done to try to make the Icelandic government witness a hint of how the situation in Gaza is now and in continuation denounce the occupation and the Israeli attacks. Later the same group headed to the parliament where the same performance took place. No one got arrested.

More actions, protests and performances are to take place in the next days.

Our solidarity and our hearts are with the people of Palestine, as all other oppressed people in this world. Our struggle is your struggle. We will continue the fight for freedom and justice!

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More photos can be seen here.

English information about Iceland-Palestine can be found here.

A video from the performance by the government’s office can be seen here.