Archive: 6 posts

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http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00471/iceland_fire_471350a.jpg Things are heating up pretty bad over here. Corrupt government heads continue refuse to resign even as an angry mob of citizens continues to chant slogans, decorate our parliament with eggs, paint and bottles. This is the biggest riots my little native homeland has seen since... well, ever in modern history I think. The public insists on a re-election in the face of a national bankruptcy instigated by said corrupted officials, but even more, the public demands that these officials at least have the common decency to resign their posts. As yet, nothing has happened, except our prime minister and defence minister keep pouring oil on the fire of discontent by insulting the angry citizens. Around midnight me and some friends marched off to join the protests and add our voices to the chants and cries of outrage. The protests were peaceful...ish... Some particularly angry demonstrators kept breaking park benches and setting up a bonfire in front of the parliament. Now and again the riot police would then push back the crowd with pepper spray and bats to put out the flames, retreat, and the charade would start over. Plastic Trash bins were burned, windows broken, trash thrown at the officers... Some people kept lighting fireworks and threw it at the parliament... There was a great stench of burning rubber and pepper spray, but still... The people never really crossed the line. The mass majority would hurl insults at the officers, but few would actually get into fights with them. When some people started throwing glass and rocks at the officers, a large crowd would face the other way and demand that they stop, often creating a wall around the cops protecting them. The officers are a part of this nation... They've been screwed just as bad as we are, and they are primarily there to ensure that things don't get out of hand. Nobody wants anyone to get hurt... But tonight we reached new heights... Last night was the biggest turn-up yet, and as a result, early this morning the government called for a press conference. Everyone suspected that this was it... They had finally found their balls and were ready to face the music and resign... But nope. The Prime Minister announced on live TV that he had no intentions to resign. This was no time to fracture the shaken parliament. This, naturally, did not go so well with the hundreds of angry protesters outside, and things escalated. I was there a few hours ago, with several hundred others, chanting and rallying, when all hell broke loose. For the first time since 1947, Tear gas was deployed and a full blown riot took place in down town Reykjavik. When much of the smoke blew over many would return to the square, no longer content with just chanting slogans, and this time began hurling rocks and bricks. I did not partake further, obviously things had gotten out of hand and this was no longer a "peaceful" protest. As things stand right now, I'm home watching the news coverage... 2-3000 people are still out there protesting. Red paint has been splashed at the doors of the parliament, two officers have been seriously injured. Much of the down town traffic has been closed... Two lines of riot officers are surrounding the parliament. I'm guessing the people will continue to protest well into the morning, and if things haven't been properly dealt with by this weeks end, I fear things might just continue to escalate until someone gets *Really* hurt. Links and Coverage: Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5563020.ece) Times Photo Gallery (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/template/2.0-0/element/pictureGalleryPopup.jsp?id=5559660&offset=0§ionName=Sport) Huffington Post - Iceland is Burning (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/iris-lee/iceland-is-burning--day-2_b_159863.html) Morgunbla?i? - (Icelandic News Media) (http://mbl.is/mm/frettir/english/) I'll post more about things if they escalate... EDIT: Rioters have left as of now, 4 am.

2009-01-22 04:08:00 Author: Morrinn3 Posts: 493

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I hope you come out ok. Those in charge will pay the price if they don't act appropriately. how quickly do they forget they are always out numbered.

2009-01-22 04:12:00 Author: LightGrenades Posts: 218

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Holey crap... I heard Iceland was in a bad way in terms of the recession, but didn't know riots had broken out. I'm extremely ignorant when it comes to global news, but I'm still really interested in different cultures, so I should really pay more attention. I hope everything has cooled down over there Morrinn, so they can work things out sensibly.

2009-04-14 00:11:00 Author: Pitcard Posts: 779

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wow due thats insane. And I commendate every single last one of those people who protest. I wish we would start doing this in America. No one should ever be scared of their government, government should be scared of their people. Don't ever let your government intimidate you in anyway.

2009-04-14 00:27:00 Author: Hamsalad Posts: 2551

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wow due thats insane. And I commendate every single last one of those people who protest. I wish we would start doing this in America. No one should ever be scared of their government, government should be scared of their people. Don't ever let your government intimidate you in anyway. I would never turn to violence like those people. I dont think thats the way it should work. There are plenty of other ways to get noticed.

2009-04-14 00:30:00 Author: moleynator Posts: 2914

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This thread is almost 3 months old I think if the riots were still going on we would have heard more about them, last I heard in January the prime minister had resigned and things died down. Pitcard try and check the date of the post you are replying to rather than necromancing old threads Closed.

2009-04-14 01:06:00 Author: QuozL Posts: 921

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