Iceland holds UK protestor for alleged £40,000 damage using yoghurt

Paul deserves our support (obviously!)- and let no-one call him a yogurt-weaver..... Please phone, and remember also that the best form of solidarity is to continue and build the fight - actions against the companies and interests backing the Iceland dam must increase!

What is the name of the hotel? Something to boycott, press manager to drop charges?

The hotel that is seeking to press charges against the three protester is Hotel Nordica.

See more detailed description of what has been happening on News section of www.savingiceland.org and  http://newswire.indymedia.org/en/newswire/2005/06/823279.shtml

Yesterday there was a demostration outside the Ministry of Justice in Reykjavik demanding the immediate release of Paul.

We have been assured that Paul´s solicitor is a good one. Someone has been visiting Paul today but has not returned to the capital yet.

The action was a total success but all three who were arrested will need all the support they can get.

Ask me what ever you want and I shall try to respond.

Snorri

Thanks very much for the news Snorri. Do you think you could email me 'cos we (Paul's friends / family) feel very out on a limb here in the UK. It would be good to be able to stay in touch.

Many thanks

Paul called us tonight and said he might very possibly be released tomorrow. He is to be taken back to Reykjavik at eight in in the morning and interrogated yet again (the interrgations are not that heavy) and will supposedly be relased after that. He will detained in the country for atleast two weeks.

Fingers crossed.

XXX

I found this article through a weblog and it caught my interest because I am Icelandic (living in Sweden). I decided to look this up in the local media. The article starts out by saying "Details are sketchy at the moment..." and your article was written on the 16th of June. This event happened on the 14th. Still, 4 days later there is no update on your site that explains exactly what happened. I find this type of reporting interesting because you are trying to gather support for something without specifying the details of what happened. So let me fill you in on the details (along with links to my resources - Snorri Bárðarsson can definitely read them and mention if any of my translations are out of order) so that your readers can judge for themselves.

Here is the first news of this "event" in the local media (14th at 13:04):
 http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/frett.html?nid=1143675
The article states that three individuals were arrested after breaking into the meeting at Hotel Nordica and throwing something that looked like green paint on the guests and that this caused confusion among the guests. The police did not want to comment on the incident.

Second article (14th at 17:58) :
 http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/frett.html?nid=1143722
At around 17-18 in the afternoon, there was a press concerence at the hotel concerning the incident where the participants mention that they were disappointed by the action. The action happened at 12:11 when 3 individuals came into the conference room and emptied out the contents of two buckets containing a mixture of "súrmjólk" (Not really yoghurt but a milk product, sometimes described as "butter milk" - makes more of a stink than yoghurt), water and green colour. They didn't think it was green paint but damage was done to computers, furniture and conference participants clothing. They were still unsure if the colour could be washed out.

Third article (15th at 13:35):
 http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/innlent/frett.html?nid=1143837
One of the three activists has been put to prison until Monday (20th) but the other two have been released. The police has stated that it was the brit that has been put into jail because "we need to further investigate his role in the event". The police also stated that the hotel has sued for damages.

Fourth article (16th at 09:22):
A demonstation at the Ministry of Justice demanding the release of Paul Gill. The people demonstrating stated that they did not understand why Paul was arrested but not the other two individuals and he should therefore be released.

I have also checked another local media "www.visir.is" which also covers this story quite extensively although that paper isn't as reliable as www.mbl.is. Information found there that isn't found above includes:

1. All three were arrested and stayed in jail the first night, although the Icelanders were released the next day. The three individuals are not considered a part of the icelandic nature conservationists group. ( http://www.visir.is/?PageID=38&NewsID=44868)

2. The group "naturewatch" ( http://www.natturuvaktin.com/english.htm) states they are not involved in this at all even though one of the icelanders in question has some history with the group. (ttp://www.visir.is/?PageID=38&NewsID=44947)

3. The two icelanders speak out and say that all three had same amount of responsibility in the act and speak out against the unfair treatment Paul is getting, stating that he has been turned into some sort of scapegoat. He should be released because he can't leave the country when the police has his passport. ( http://www.visir.is/?PageID=38&NewsID=45061

So there you have the details that are sorely missing in your article (and your factually wrong article title). From what I can see, these three individuals caused definite property damage and should be held financially responsible for their actions, all three of them. The only serious issue (and injustice) I see here is that Paul Gill is being held in prison until Monday. If the police has his passport then there is no reason for him to be there at all. I can also say that I haven't seen one mention of the £40.000 that you mention in your article.

Hang on David, what do you mean, those reponsible should be held financially responsible for their actions? What is a bit of redecorating needed in some nobby hotel compared to the permanent damage done to landscape and ecology by this fucking dam? We should give Paul (and anyone else resisting the dam in Iceland and abroad) the support they deserve.

Following a campaign by Icelandic supporters Paul has been released from prison. However he cannot leave Iceland until the case comes to court, probably in two weeks or so. The two Icelandic protesters are also still facing charges.

Hi David, thanks for your comments.

I would have loved to have posted a more factually complete and precise story but I only had the information I'd been given. We've had difficulty getting good information from Iceland until the last day or so. Thank you for fleshing it out with your summaries of the Icelandic coverage, it would be good if you could keep us updated. However I don't think my article was "devoid of facts" and as far as I can tell it wasn't significantly inaccurate.

I think Paul's treatment did seem disproportionate considering the nature of his actions, particularly if the £40,000 figure we've heard is correct (which as far as I know it is). And considering the damage Alcoa and Bechtel plan to do to Iceland some spilled buttermilk seems especially trivial.

Anyway, Paul's out of prison now and I for one wish him and the other protesters all the best.

Thanks for your responses. First to anti-dam: If I took a sledgehammer and violently attacked your car, citing world pollution as the reasons for my actions, would you say it was justified? Am I without responsibility for my actions because I have a cause? I think you are full of it mate. Two wrongs don't make a right. I am not particularly happy about what is going in in Iceland but what these three did in Iceland is plain stupid. Why do I come to that conclusion?? Well, the media (including Indymedia UK) is now focusing on Paul Gill and his "situation". Where is the focus on the problem at hand? How does this help the cause at all? The only contribution that all of this has accomplished is that the average joe who is not particularly knowledgeable about the details of what is going on will think that all activists are a bunch of whackos. What those three have done is scare potential supporters (which are sorely needed) away from the problem at hand.

Let me remind you of a simple but effective fact that supports my argument. The picture of Bill Gates with a pie in his face is both well known and pretty much everybody who knows who Bill Gates is will know of this event. But how many know the reason behind it? Answer is simple, very few, because as people will tell you, it was just some whacko who threw that pie. Don't believe me? OK, do me a simple favor: Go to Google and enter . I got 134000 hits! Most of them were pictures, video's, shockwave games, screensavers and the like. I did find some references and links to Noel Godin (who thre the pie and the one who was trying to make a point), but all the links I searched for were dead ends. In short, nobody gives a damn about Noel Godin but the event is remembered for its humor because a very famous person was involved. What has been accomplished?

To Karen: You are welcome. I scanned the news for information about Pauls release but found none. It might be that the media is bored with this already. So much for raising awareness. I do however agree with you that the way Paul Gill has been treated is extremely wrong and I can't say that I am proud of the way my country has acted in this instance.

I admit that I came on too hard on your article and I am sorry for that. However, the reason was that others are now quoting your title and just your title which is very glamorous and maybe not very factual (like this site:  http://mjr.towers.org.uk/blog/2005-1.html#stun0617). Fact is that it wasn't just yoghurt and that destroyed property was involved. The £40.000 pounds is probably what the hotel is asking for in damages but not necessarily what they will get (although I still haven't found information to back up this figure).

I will continue searching for information on this issue in the Icelandic media and post it here. However, I do believe though that in a couple of weeks, all this will be dead and buried. There were no famous people involved, no funny pictures or videos to laugh at and even if they were, I assume they would live on under "funny videos/pics" archives on the web and everybody would have forgotten the reasons that started all this in the first place. I know this sounds harsh but you are welcome to disagree and try to proove me wrong.

What do I believe is the best way to fight this issue? By educating people, and by people I mean the average Joe. Make people aware of the consequences and fill them in on what is going on and why. I think education is always the best way to raise awareness.

Hi there,

I sent already this translation onto castilian to the savingiceland webpage. It's from a former article at www.schnews.org.uk called Ice burks! (march 2004). In the north of the iberian península we know about sinking valleys under dams for the sake of tourists and wannabes having golffields at the mediterranean coast (and the construction companies' profits, of course).
Education is basic, but facing the world of matter is also necessary.
Keep on the good struggle!


Liquidando Islandia
Junio 2005

Islandia, que fue una triste colonia hasta 1944 y es ahora un país próspero de naturaleza incontaminada, está a la venta. Se ha calculado que, debido al deshiele del polo que va a desviar la Corriente del Golfo, dentro de 75 años aquello va a ser inhabitable. Quizá por eso la oligarquía local ha comenzado la liquidación de la isla que en los medios financieros era conocida como "nuestro pequeño secreto". Por suerte, parte de la población comienza a oponerse.


Islandia es megachachi, el sueño húmedo de cualquier turista ecológico, ¿que no? Pues igual no por mucho tiempo, como no se le paren los pies al gobierno islandés.

Ya ves tú: tienen un astuto plan para convertir el país entero en un paraíso para la industria pesada de toda clase de escoria multinacional, pantaneando, inundando y casi siempre reventando la naturalezapara poner en marcha un puñado de fundiciones de aluminio y otros ligeros desperfectos en el paisaje.
Esto no es un chiste porque ya ha empezado. La construcción del pantano de Karahnjukar en las tierras altas islandesas (uno de los últimos parajes vírgenes de Europa) ya ha comenzado. Landsvirkjun (la compañía eléctrica nacional, prácticamente una ONG del gobierno ), tiene una pila de proyectos que acabarían con el 25% de todo el país pantaneado para el 2020: eso es tener visión.
Karahnjukar, igual que la mayoría de futuros proyectos de Landsvirkjun, encauza ríos glaciales alimentados por el Vatnajö kull: el mayor glaciar no ártico del mundo. Este glaciar es el corazón de un ecosistema fantásticamente intrincado: áridos paisajes marcianos rojos y negros; fuentes y manantiales geotermales lo bastante calientes como para bañarte en ellos; ríos con unas orillas de profundo musgo verde esmeralda entretejido con minúsculas florecillas rojas y amarillas sobre las que nadie ha caminado jamás; las cavernas de hielo del glaciar mismo; criaderos de focas en los deltas de arena negra en el norte. Todo esto va a ser desestabilizado y dañado para siempre si no se evita que se lleven a cabo estos proyectos pantaneros.

Este verano hay una acampada internacional de protesta para intentar frenar esta guerra contra la naturaleza. Va a haber un jaleo de cuidado porque el gobierno islandés parece determinado a sacar adelante estos proyectos sin importarle la oposición que pueda haber.

Lo que está pasando en Karahnjukar demuestra cómo opera el gobierno.
En el 2001, la primera vez que se remitieron a la Agencia de Planificación Nacional (NPA) los planes para el macroproyecto fueron rechazados debido al "impacto medioambiental negativo, sustancial e irreversible" que tendría la presa. Todos los expertos estaban de acuerdo con este juicio (véase el informe de la Agencia Internacional de Ríos (IRN) en el enlace de más abajo). Pero la ministra de medio ambiente le dio la vuelta a la decisión de la NPA y declaró que, en su opinión, el proyecto era medioambientalmente aceptable - y no hay duda de que está capacitada para decidir sobre cuestiones medioambientales porque la buena mujer es fisioterapeuta. Hubo una serie de aspavientos financieros cuando los bancos se enteraron de la parte ética, pero Barclays dio audazmente un paso al frente con lo que hay que tener - aunque tengan firmados los Principios de Ecuados que exigen "prácticas sólidas de gestión medioambiental como requisito previo".
Toda la electricidad que se produce en Karahnjukar está contratada para una fundición de aluminio de Alcoa (construida por Bechtel, debería ser operativa en 2007) que, ella solita, contaminará y arruinará Reydarfjördhur, un prístino fiordo oriental. Un tribunal de Reykjavik decretó hace poco que los permisos de planificación de Alcoa para esta monstruosidad no son válidos, auqnue eso probablemente no vaya a pararles, puesto que apelaron inmediatamente al tribunal supremo, comprado para la causa, según se comenta. Karahnjukar no va a beneficiar a los islandeses en nada: la electricidad no va a ser destinada a la red nacional y, dado que hay poco desempleo en la zona, no habrá islandeses que deseen un bonito y saludable curro en una fundición de aluminio, gracias.
Y, sin embargo, los costes para el país van a ser enormes: los expertos independientes afirman que la economía está en juego (ver el informe del IRN) tiene un presupuesto de un billón de dólares y es probable que acabe costando más, el precio de la electricidad para Alcoa está relacionado con los precios variables del aluminio en el mercado del metal de Londres... en otras palabras: no hay garantías de que vaya a producir beneficios.

El medio ambiente sufre más a cada día.
Ya han volado en pedazos parte del Dimmugljufur -el gran cañón islandés- y, si rellenan el embalse (planeado para el 2007) sumergirán por completo 65'5 kilómetros cuadrados de naturaleza virgen. Estas tierras incluyen los criaderos de la mayoría de renos de islandia y los anidaderos 'protegidos' por Ransar de especies en peligro como los gansos de patas rosas y el halcón ártico.
Se perderán sesenta cascadas y una gran cantidad de capas de sedimento consideradas únicas en el mundo por los científicos que estudian el calentamiento global porque registran diez mil años de cambio geológico y climático. Y esta gran presa que proyectan se extendería hasta bien adentro del propio glaciar, que se está rompiendo debido al calentamiento global. ¿Los icebergs gigantes que van a embestir la presa no serán un poco peligrosos o algo?
Pues sí. Pero es no es todo: ¡están construyendo la presa sobre una falla sísmica!
En el 2003, le preguntaron al jefe de Landsvirkun, Fridrik Sophusson, lo que pasaría si hubiera un terremoto bajo la presa.
"Reventaría", sonrió con calma. "Un muro de agua catastrófico aniquilaría a todo el mundo en Egilsstadir [el pueblo más cercano] y todas las granjas vecinas serían barridas." ¿Alguien ha pedido un tsunami a la islandesa? "Eso no va a ocurrir", añadió todo tranquilo. Sin embargo, en agosto de 2004 hubo terremotos continuos en Karahnjukar durante varios días.
Los ecologistas advirtieron también de que los residuos de sedimento que dejan los niveles de agua cambiantes alrededor de la presa proyectada se convertirían en un polvo fino que el viento arrastraría hasta las tierras cultivables locales. A esto se le ha quitado hierro, pero el verano pasado el cieno que dejaron los inesperados rebrotes en el río glaciar recién desviado produjeron tormentas de arena devastadoras.
Pero nada de esto cuenta: mientras el resto del mundo 'desarrollado' está ocupado desmantelando presas, los gobernantes de Islandia no tienen suficiente. Hay planes para represar todos los ríos principales del país. Se cuenta que a Río Tinto Zinc ya se le cae la baba ante la oportunidad de devastar el norte del país, mientras Alcan y Century (que ya tienen fundiciones cerca de Reyjyavik) están ansiosos por expandir su silueta de muerte en el sur.

Irónicamente, el gobierno, a través de su consejería de turismo, todavía invita a los visitantes a disfrutar de la "pura belleza natural incontaminada" ¡mientras la están destruyendo a saco!
¿Cómo pueden conciliar esto? Bueno, Islandia tiene poca población (290.000) y el poder está concentrado en las manos de unas pocas familias muy ricas que controlan la política, la industria y los media. Los científicos, periodistas y cualquiera que haga preguntas son desacreditados a toda velocidad y después les echan a la calle.
Las obras comenzaron en julio del 2003, cuando los matoncetes italianos de Impregilo (la rama de construcción de FIAT, actualmente acusada de corrupción en Lesotho y de 'irregularidades financieras' en casa) y un batallón espantoso de bulldozers Caterpillar comenzaron a excavar y dinamitar la frágil tundra sub-ártica. El reno, los zorros árticos, otros pequeños animales y miles de especies de pájaros que vivían allí huyeron despavoridas.

Pero no todo van a ser malas noticias y tú puedes hasta ayudar. Está surgiendo un vigoroso movimiento ecologista de base con las pilas bien puestas, decidido a que dejen de putear la naturaleza de Islandia al mejor postor. Es la batalla de David contra Goliat que llama al apoyo internacional.

La página donde se coordina la lucha:
 http://www.savingiceland.org/taxonomy/term/32
El artículo lo he traducido de www.schnews.org.uk 4 de marzo de 2005. El título original es Ice burks!
 http://www.savingiceland.org/files/news487.pdf

Hi all. I hope green activists like Mr. Gill and his friends will learn like other citizens to object by other means than using violance. Assault and property damage as a mean to express a view or an opinion can only lead to aggression and physical violance.

Hi.

The suffragettes in the UK fought for the vote for women by spitting on politicians, breaking government property and other such 'beastly acts'. As a result, and after prison terms, they were finally listened to and now it's considered ordinary that everyone has the vote, of course - a peaceful result. They too were condemned by media and some people, as above. They considered their acts didn't really balance up to the real violence that government inflicted (& in this case, the dam and the actions of the multinational corporations).

Think about it.