On 26th November 11 activists went, with banner and d- locks, to visit the Icelandic embassy to voice their outrage at the building of the Karanjukur dam, a project that is causing significant and irreparable damage to the second largest wilderness remaining in Europe.
One activist persuaded the secretary open the "security" door, and while 4 others charged in, another locked herself by the neck to the main door. The police response was swift - there is a special diplomatic incident response team - and the fire brigade were also soon there.
Three of the four inside the embassy were immediately arrested, and the fire brigade used bolt croppers to release the woman on the front door (she too was arrested). Police and staff thought they had cleared the building of intruders, until post-it notes started to appear on a window spelling out 'NO DAM'. Investigating, they found that an activist had locked and barricaded himself inside an office. After half an hour of deliberation the fire brigade were asked to break in, at which point the activist came out willingly and was arrested, as were the others, for trespassing on diplomatic premises' and on suspicion of criminal damage to a potted aloe vera plant, an unfortunate and innocent victim of events.
The 5 were held overnight and taken to court the following morning, where the incident was described as being of a 'sensitive nature', and all were bailed not to go within 100m of the Icelandic embassy. They will appear at West London magistrates at 10am on 10th December.
The action, though short lived, really rattled the embassy and the British authorities and, importantly, made headline news in Iceland itself, where opposition to the Dam is rarely given a voice in the media.
One activist persuaded the secretary open the "security" door, and while 4 others charged in, another locked herself by the neck to the main door. The police response was swift - there is a special diplomatic incident response team - and the fire brigade were also soon there.
Three of the four inside the embassy were immediately arrested, and the fire brigade used bolt croppers to release the woman on the front door (she too was arrested). Police and staff thought they had cleared the building of intruders, until post-it notes started to appear on a window spelling out 'NO DAM'. Investigating, they found that an activist had locked and barricaded himself inside an office. After half an hour of deliberation the fire brigade were asked to break in, at which point the activist came out willingly and was arrested, as were the others, for trespassing on diplomatic premises' and on suspicion of criminal damage to a potted aloe vera plant, an unfortunate and innocent victim of events.
The 5 were held overnight and taken to court the following morning, where the incident was described as being of a 'sensitive nature', and all were bailed not to go within 100m of the Icelandic embassy. They will appear at West London magistrates at 10am on 10th December.
The action, though short lived, really rattled the embassy and the British authorities and, importantly, made headline news in Iceland itself, where opposition to the Dam is rarely given a voice in the media.
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