SECURITY GUARDS AND POLICE PUT ACTIVISTS’ LIVES AT RISK AT ICELANDIC DAM BLOCKADE
Police and security guards at the Karahnjukar Dam construction site in Iceland, last night ordered the bulldozers drivers to start their engines and move off, despite there being more than 25 people locked on to the underside of their vehicles.
“It was terrifying, if someone hadn’t jumped up on the front of the truck and pulled out the fuel line then I think people may have been killed last night” said one of the protesters from the UK.
Lock-on blockade at Karahnjukar. Icelandic police tell drivers to start machinery risking protestors’ lives.
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A statement from the protestor at Karahnjukar in Iceland, Tuesday 26th of July
A group of 24 protestors entered the Karahnjukar dam site and stopped work for five hours early this morning. The protest involved a blockade by several activists who locked onto machinery by their necks.
The protest was peaceful and relations with the workers were friendly until the police arrived at about 3 AM. The police ordered the drivers of the vehicles that people were locked on to, to start their engines. This order created an incredibly dangerous situation as the drivers and the police didn’t share a common language.
The police refused to talk to the protestors and started to forcibly remove people from the site.
The protesters pleaded for a dialogue, but were ignored by authorities.
The police allegedly sexually assaulted one woman while another protestor was assaulted by security personal while being held by police. Three people are being held on fabricated assault charges
This type of police behaviour will not stop the protestors from resisting heavy industry in Iceland.
A great responsibility lies with the Icelandic authorities to ensure their law enforcement does not escalate or create situations at the dam that will endanger lives.