17 June 2007
The National Theatre is adorned with Iceland’s new flag.
At around 4pm on Sunday 17th June, National Day, a giant new Icelandic flag was revealed from the roof of the National Theatre, located on Hverfisgata, facing the Arnarholl on Lækjargata where thousands of people stood for the festivities. The flag, which was 25m long, had a shield with the logos of the alluminum companies: ALCOA, ALCAN and Norðurál (also known as Century Aluminum) in the centre of a new Icelandic flag. The activists wished to express that far from being an independant nation, Iceland has been taken over by the aluminium industry with all the democracy defecit that comes with such powerful corporations.
While standing atop the building, the activists, masked shouted ´Iceland is not a free country, it is an aluminium banana republic! ´, ´Stop heavy industry!´, and wailed sirens. Aproximately thirty minutes later, the Reykjavík Police ascended the stairs to pull down the flag and remove the activists. After much struggle, the flag still stands, half pulled up but too well attached to completely disassemble. Five persons were arrested but released quickly.