Saving Iceland

Police Brutality Brings Chaos to Street Party Against Heavy Industry

Video report of the streetparty on July 14th, 2007 – now on our own server because YouTube took it off, after more then 3000 views…

When the crowd descended Snorrabraut on it’s way to Laugavegur, the main shopping street, police blockaded the road and there was a standoff for an hour and a half. When the driver of the sound system tried to exit the vehicle, police attempted to arrest him, violently attacking bystanders. A number of people got injured and four arrested. Police went for people’s throats, knocked people face down on the ground, leg-cuffed people and smashed a car window. Activists stayed non-violent.

The crowd moved on to the police station down the road, and sympathizers welcomed us with a surprise second sound system. The police station was stormed by the international rebel clown army that has set up shop at Saving Iceland’s camp in Mossfelsheidi. A number of people climbed the roof and hung down anti-heavy industry banners.
Police did a sortie, apparently with the sole purpose of a surprise arrest of a photographer.

Police have announced that the five people arrested will not be released tonight. It is currently uncertain on what charges they are being held, or what their medical condition is, since some were injured in their arrest. One of them has a broken rib.

Various individuals are considering sueing the police. Please send in any footage or photos you might have of police violence.

On a brighter note, the Dutch RTL4 evening news showed an interview with Iceland’s environmental minister, Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, who stated that she opposes new aluminium smelters in the country. The program also showed images from Saving Iceland’s conference in Olfus last weekend.

RUV shows some police violence, but more interesting is Siggi Superstar and the clown army being interviewed by the RUV journalist, in matching colours…

List of proposed new smelters and enlargements:

The new ALCOA smelter in Reydarfjordur.
The new ALCOA smelter in Husavik.
The Rio Tinto ALCAN enlargement of the existing smelter in Straumsvik.
The new Rio Tinto ALCAN smelter in Keilisnes or Thorlakshofn.
The recent Century Aluminum/Nordural smelter enlargement in Hvalfjordur.
The new Century Aluminum smelter in Helguvik.
The new Altech smelter in Thorlakshofn.
The new Norsk Hydro smelter in Thorlakshofn.
The enlargement of the Icelandic Alloys/ELKEM in Grundartangi.
The new R & D Carbon anode rod factory at Katanes in Hvalfjordur.

 

 

 

 

 

---

Fréttatilkynning 13/7/2007

Umhverfi/aðgerðasinnar

Saving Iceland heldur götupartý til höfuðs stóriðju 14. júlí

Alþjóðlegu aðgerðasamtökin Saving Iceland skipuleggja götupartý í andstöðu við stóriðju og stórar stíflur á Íslandi og um allan heim. Fram koma nokkrir þekktir íslenskir plötusnúðar m.a. DJ Eyvi, DJ Kiddy Ghozt and DJ Arnar (Hugarástand).

“Rave Against The Machine” mun eiga sér stað laugardaginn 14. júlí og hefst klukkan 16.00 við goshver Perlunnar í Öskjuhlíð.

“Þetta byggir á evrópskri mótmælahefð, að “taka göturnar aftur” eða “Reclaiming the streets”. Þegar upp er staðið er það á götunum sem staðið er gegn yfirvaldinu, það er á götunum sem daglega lífið fer fram og því þarf að breyta þeim í svæði þar sem fólk getur notið lífsins, skapað og nært sig andlega” segir Sigurður Harðarson frá Saving Iceland.

Saving Iceland er alþjóðleg baráttuherferð til að verja villta náttúru Íslands, eitt það stærsta náttúrusvæði sem enn er eftir í Evrópu, frá stóriðju. Nokkur fjölþjóðleg fyrirtæki, sérstaklega úr áliðnaðinum, og íslenska ríkisstjórnin feta sig eftir stórtæku ferli sem mun, fái það allt að komast í framkvæmd, umbreyta landinu úr framúrskarandi náttúruperlu í enn eitt mengað iðnaðarsvæði.

Þetta götupartý er hluti af “óhlýðnisumari” Saving Iceland, sem felur í sér aðgerðabúðir sem, þegar þetta er skrifað, eru staðsettar á Bringum á Mosfellsheiði.
Síðustu helgi hélt Saving Iceland alþjóðlega ráðstefnu “Hnattrænar afleiðingar stóriðju og stórra stíflna” með ræðumönnum frá fimm heimsálfum. Sumt ræðufólksins frá suðurálfu munu einnig taka þátt í götupartýinu.

frekari upplýsingar
https://www.savingiceland.org
(+354) 663 7653 or (+354) 843 0629

---

Environment / Activism
Iceland

Press Release 13/7/2007

Saving Iceland Streetparty Against Heavy Industry July 14th

REYKJAVIK – The international direct action network Saving Iceland will organize a street party in opposition to heavy industry and large dams in Iceland and around the globe. A number of well-known Icelandic DJ’s will attend, including DJ Eyvi, DJ Kiddy Ghozt and DJ Arnar (Hugarástand).

The ‘Rave against the Machine’ will take place on Saturday July 14th and starts at 16.00h at the hot spring by Perlan, Oskjuhlid.

“It builds on a tradition of ‘reclaiming the streets’ in Europe. Ultimately it is in the streets that power must be dissolved: for the streets where daily life is endured, suffered and eroded, and where power is confronted and fought, must be turned into the domain where daily life is enjoyed, created and nourished,” says Saving Iceland’s Sigurður Harðarson.

Saving Iceland is an international campaign to defend the Icelandic Wilderness, the largest remaining wild area of Europe, from heavy industry. Different transnational companies, particularly the aluminium industry, and the Icelandic government have begun to implement an immense program that will, if executed, transform the country from an outstanding area of natural beauty into another heavily industrialised and polluted nation.

This street party is part of Saving Iceland’s ‘summer of dissent’, which includes the direct action camp currently located at Bringur, Mosfellsheiði, north of Reykjavik.
Last weekend, Saving Iceland hosted an international conference ‘Global consequences of heavy industry and large dams’, with speakers from five different continents. Some of the speakers from the global south will also take part in the street party.

More information:
https://www.savingiceland.org
(+354) 663 7653 or (+354) 843 0629