Saving Iceland

The following text and photos came from Barcelona:

On Thursday, July 8th at about 12:30, 20 people went to the Icelandic consulate in Barcelona to show there outrage against the Icelandic state; for there existence and there heavy repression of the 9 people of Reykjavík because of their actions at the parliament December 8th 2008. If there were any kind of true democracy their demands would have been welcomed and allowed a space. But since obviously there can never be true state democracy, the peoples demands were repressed and silenced.

It is obvious that these actions by the state of Iceland are politically and ideologically motivated. Targeting specific people out of the thousands that protested, and even out of the people who entered the parliament this particular day. In these actions it is also obvious that the government is trying to set a precedent, to squash any future dissidence and outrage that could disrupt their status quo. The repressive measures even extended to the consulate, where it seems that they asked for assistance by the most aggressive riot police in Barcelona, the Mossos.

There were more than 20 Mossos in the entrance of the building and 4 riot vans were in the surrounding block. The building which houses the Icelandic consulate has many different offices and normally only has one guard. The consulate is on the 8th floor of this building. When we arrived we were told we would not be allowed inside this building as a group, and that only one person could come inside to talk to someone that was not from the parliament itself, but a director of the building. During the demonstration, other people continuously walked inside and out from the building. When we got there, the police had told us that the consulate was closed and that some director from the building would come down to hear our demands and relay them to the consulate. After this, two people left to call the consulate, who answered the phone and had said that they were open. Then we tried to call and hand the phone to the policeman but he would not accept and kept with his position of them being closed.

We demonstrated in the streets for a little over an hour, with banners saying in Catalan, “Stop the repression against the activists in Iceland!” and “If the Reykjavik 9 fall, so will the Icelandic state!” We passed out leaflets about the repression and situation in Iceland from last winter, banged pots and pans, and shouted slogans in support of the Reykjavik 9 and anti capitalist chants. These continued repressive measures to blockade the entrance to this place that is legal to enter any other time – just like the parliament in December of 2008 – show once again that the Icelandic state will take all measures to keep their status quo, and suspend all civil rights that are even left under their state apparatus.

But what they don’t realize is that the struggle will not die, it will only strengthen. And that the Reykjavik 9 are not alone in this struggle. Your struggle is our struggle! No political prisoners! All political prisoners must be set free!

From Barcelona: Complete solidarity with the Reykjavik 9!