Saving Iceland

Food Not Bombs in Reykjavik

The G8 summit will be held from July 7 to 9 of this year, at Toya-ko lake in Hokkaido (Japan). In solidarity with the worldwide plan of actions held against the kind of globalization promoted by G8 and the repression of Japanese police against activists, an action also took place in Reykjavik yesterday. Beginning a few months ago, the energetic and enthusiastic Icelandic Food Not Bombs group has been serving food for free every Saturday in the center of Reykjavik.This is definetely a succesful activity where not only the homeless people from Reykjavik, but also the Saturday afternooon shoppers, passersby and promenading tourists find their way to a healthy vegan lunch, prepared with ingredients which are not any longer considered as worthy for consumption by our throw-it-away society. Read More

The struggle by the riverine fishworkers affected by the Upper Wardha dam in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra has reached a peak once again with five representatives of the fish workers having begun their indefinite fast since July 1st, to assert their rights to the reservoir, while five more have joined them since yesterday, July 3rd, in front of the SDO Office, at Tehsil Morshi Amaravati Dist.

The reservoir of Upper Wardha dam (known as the Nal Damayanti Sagar) in Amravati district has affected about three thousand families of farmers and fish workers. However, no rehabilitation, except meager cash compensation came their way, even in 1980’s. While the farmers have had to continue to seek their entitlements till date, through a torturous process, it is also striking that the waters of the reservoir are diverted to industrial complexes and cities, instead of public purpose and irrigation, planned and promised.

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Distinguished Indian environmental scientist Dr G. D. Agrawal today began his commitment to fast until death unless the country’s government heeds protests and warnings against the construction of several hydroelectric power dams on the River Ganges.
On the festival of Ganga Dusshera marking the birth of the river Ganges, crowds gathered on the banks of one of its tributaries, the sacred Bhagirathi river, to begin a day-long collective fast in the north Indian town of Uttarkashi, a gesture repeated by thousands throughout the country to show support for eminent scientist Dr G. D. Agrawal in his protest against proposed and ongoing hydroelectric construction schemes in the area a protest which will see him fast until death unless all such development work is stopped. Read More

Update: the Camp this summer is over – read a report and summary of this summer’s camp, actions and other activities here.

A summer of International dissent and action against Heavy Industry – swarming around Iceland from the 12th of July 2008!
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Century Aluminum had hoped to hold the traditional ceremony of digging the first spade of earth for their new smelter in Helguvik in a celebrity manner. But neither environmental protesters nor even the Icelandic corporate media were about to let that happen.
A group of people came to the ceremony to protest against how destructive the new Century smelter would be towards the ecological, social and economic life in the south-west of Iceland.They all refused to protest in the ‘designated protest area’ provided by the police, which was out of sight and sound from the ceremony itself. Instead they got much closer to the ceremony before being stopped, one person carrying a green and black flag being held by two undercover police. Some carried a coffin, which read ‘Reykjanes’ and gravestones which read “Innovation – died 6.6.08.”

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Motivated by other actions that have taken place all over Europe against heavy industry and by the inspiring presentations of Saving Iceland made by Icelandic activists this winter in Switzerland, we organised a demonstration, creating a new group of this international campaign in Geneva. Wednesday 26th March, 30 activists demonstrated their anger in front of Alcoa’s European headquarters in Geneva. Here is where the Alcoa managers take decisions regarding their plans for the destruction and polluting industry for the production of aluminium.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://youtube.com/v/LSJ2RhaCpWY"" width="249" height="212" wmode="transparent" /]

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At least 70 actions took place in over 30 countries to celebrate the importance of protecting our rivers. Many groups opted to demonstrate and protest. In Brazil, MAB organized more than nine events. MAB’s occupation of the worksite at Estreito Dam on the Tocantins River lasted nine days until demonstrators at the Estreito Dam were finally offered an agreement which maintains that organs under the Brazilian presidency will convene meetings to discuss the ongoing social and environmental concerns that the dam project presents. A rail line in Minas Gerais was blocked by the women of Via Campesina (of which MAB is part), in support of families seeking compensation from the company for their being displaced for Aimor’s Dam. Read More

This morning Saving Iceland built a small dam in front of Landsvirkjun’s office entrance so the workers had either to step over the dam to get inside or use a different entrance. With this peaceful demonstration Saving Iceland wanted to protest upcoming three dams that Landsvirkjun, the national energy company, hopes to build in lower Þjórsá river. At the same time SI sends support and solidarity to all the people fighting this destruction.

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The International Day of Action for Rivers will take place tomorrow, Friday March 14th, the 11th year now. The day is meant to bring attention to the necessity of rivers and that their path is not changed by men´s hands. Dams and reservoirs have big negative impact on nature, animal life and human societies by the rivers and the constructions will never be taken back. A lot of events, demonstrations and actions can be expected.

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Monday morning at 8:30 Saving Iceland disturbed the opening of the two-day conference Metals: Energy, Emissions and the Environment in Brussels. About twenty activists blocked the conference entrance of the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel with chain locks and aluminium garbage. With this action they protested against Alcoa, Rio Tinto-Alcan and Norsk Hydro, who are using this conference to promote aluminium as a ‘sustainable’ metal.

Watch the video on Youtube
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