Comments on: It’s 10 pm and the protests are intensifying

By: A crazy, exhausting week- A great report on unfolding Icelandic drama! « In These New Times

Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:52:48 +0000

[...] as selling liquor in supermarkets and what to do about smoking areas in restaurants. By eveningthere are around 3,000 people in front of the building. Protesters light a fire on the street in front and throw anything they can find to burn onto it. [...]

By: Finance

Finance — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:29:18 +0000

Alda Sigmundsdóttir: Iceland’s government has collapsed. Now we can move on…

Shortly after 1pm today, Iceland's prime minister, Geir Haarde , announced to reporters that the…

By: Ljósmynd DE

Ljósmynd DE — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:36:06 +0000

Nothing shows the disrespect for the Icelandic people more explicitly than yesterdays agenda of the parliament. The government just doesn’t seem to be willing to take on dealing with the crisis as their top priority assignment.

What is the role of the police here? As far as I could see on the videos there wasn’t much violence on the side of the protesters. But I could identify much overreaction on the other side. Is this due to lack of professionalism in the police or are they incited to act like this in order to criminalize the protesters and even provoke violence and by this discredit them? Handcuffing teenagers and large-scale macing is a measure to intimidate people. This behaviour seems to suggest that the government has decided to look upon the protesters as their enemies and does certainly not comply with the Prime Minister’s address to “stand together and show fortitude in the face of adversity”.

I wish you best luck and thanks for sharing this information.

By: americangirl

americangirl — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:08:02 +0000

To echo Prof. Batty, David, and Kathryn…the first person accounts are very much appreciated. The Alþingi agenda boggles the mind. How can those possibly be the topics for discussion???!!?! Guess it’s true what they say…”truth is stranger than fiction”.

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:41:31 +0000

Better than CNN – take care though Alda.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:29:27 +0000

Is this Parliament actually in Iceland, or is it on another planet!?

By: Muriel Volestrangler

Muriel Volestrangler — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 04:50:49 +0000

Here’s the agenda was the Alþingi was scheduled to discuss today inside the building while the riot was going on:
- Payments to organ-donors
- Should wines and beer be sold in grocery stores?
- Repayments of oil-and kilometertaxes for professional drivers
- Iceland’s opposition to rocket defences in Eastern Europe
- Smoking-areas in restaurants.
- Priority lanes in the traffic
- gender-equality on boards of financial institutions.

By: Jessie

Jessie — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:50:11 +0000

I walked down there at around 8pm, and all I can say is wow. The energy was incredible. It didn’t look like rioting to me, but the feeling was pretty intense.

By: David

David — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:31:11 +0000

I am very grateful for these reports too Alda. Do take care, this is only just beginning it seems.

By: Professor Batty

Professor Batty — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:38:49 +0000

Sincere thanks for the almost real-time updates. Take care- you are our most vital link to a story that is usually overlooked here in the US. Even if we get a report, there is almost no substance or depth to it.