Yesterday night ,i went for a drive to enjoy a beautiful sunset here in Reykjavik. It was at around 23:00 hours last night. Great to go out ,enjoy the weather and beautiful sunset. And get all the economic ,banking,and political crisis out of your head for a short while. It is nice to get away from the media for a short time. Hope you like the photos . And click on them ,and they will get larger.
The Icelandic goverment is planning to raise taxes more in the months to come . Gas ,tobacco,VAT and more taxes are to be raised. Protest is planned today in Reykjavik. The investigation into the banking crisis is not doing anything. People talk about that the Icelandic community is to small and everybody to connected,that there should be a foreign investigation into the banking crisis.
Today the protest is about the Icesave account in Europe . The goverment is about to put to parliement a law,that sais that the ICelandic govermnt will pay it all. That is in the ammount of 650 billions kronas. And some say - why should the public pay,for the wrongdoings of private bankers.
Here below are a few photos i took last night of the sunset at 23:00 hours . Click on the photos ,and the will be larger.
Today there was a protest meeting in Reykjavik. People where protesting,that the parliement is going to accept the debt about the ICelave accounts. One of the Banks that collapsed last year,had started an invesment scheme in Europe,with the name - Icesave. And when the banks collapsed,they owed about 650 billion kronas. The exchange rate is now - 1 dollar = 129 kronas .
And to pay that - the goverment must raise taxes,save in the welfare system,pay less pension to the old people and more. People are angry ,that why should the public pay ,for what the viking bankers and politicians did . Some firecrackers where shot during the protest today. But it was ,of course,very peaceful. Protest will be next saturday again - and mabey in the middle of the week - when the Icesave accounts are being discussed at parliement in Reykjavik - Iceland. Then parliement can hear what the public is saying outside.
Today there was a protest meeting in Reykjavik. People where protesting,that the parliement is going to accept the debt about the ICelave accounts. One of the Banks that collapsed last year,had started an invesment scheme in Europe,with the name - Icesave. And when the banks collapsed,they owed about 650 billion kronas. The exchange rate is now - 1 dollar = 129 kronas .
And to pay that - the goverment must raise taxes,save in the welfare system,pay less pension to the old people and more. People are angry ,that why should the public pay ,for what the viking bankers and politicians did . Some firecrackers where shot during the protest today. But it was ,of course,very peaceful. Protest will be next saturday again - and mabey in the middle of the week - when the Icesave accounts are being discussed at parliement in Reykjavik - Iceland. Then parliement can hear what the public is saying outside.
A man ,who has lost his house to a bank in ICeland ,got angry. He had built a house in 2003. He had loans from a bank in ICeland . It was the foreign kind. And when the banking crisis started last October,the loans got bigger ,and he could not pay. He tried to negociate with the bank,but the bank said no. So this week ,he rented an escovator ,and destroyed the house. Here is a video of it ,when he destroyed the house. This is a video on Youtube.
Protests are planned today . Yesterdays protest got 8 protesters arrested. And tomorrow ,the 17th of june,is the Icelandic National holiday. Then there will lots of festivities in Reykjavik and politicians making speaches. Here is a video i took yesterday,when the Police arrested protesters in Reykjavik.
Today there was the dayli protest against the discussion on parliement about the Icesave saving accounts in Europe. The goverment is about to put inot law,that the goverment will pay the debt,that the Banks made. That means ,in the amount of 650 billion kronas. People belive that ,if it will be payed by the goverment ,then taxes will have to rise,and the welfare system in Iceland will go down.
The protest started peacefully,but then a few protesters sat down on the street in front of the parliement . That was not acceptable by the police,and the protesters did not obey the police,so 8 where arrested.
Now it is under investigation ,some loans that Landsbankis CEO made to themselfes. They had private pensions funds,and made loans to themselfes. And today ,there is a planned protest meeting at 14:00 hours in front of the Icelandic Parliement building. And it looks like that nobody will be held responsable. The Attorney General of Iceland is connected to the banking crisis.
Eva Joly ,wants that mr Sigurdsson ,the attourney general,step down ,because of family connections , his son ,mr. Sigurdur Valtysson ,is CEO of a investment company ,wich used to a majority holder of Kaupthing,one of the banks that is under investigation.
Attorney General Valtýr Sigurdsson has announced that he will not step down and is not planning to resign from his post.
So far ,the weather hs been great in Reykjavik - calm,warm and sunny. And lots of activities ,boats sailing around Reykjavik harbour,dayli protests in downtown Reykjavik,and now there is a Viking Festivla in Hafnarfjord. Hafnarfjordur is a town just sout of Reykjavik. And now - Vikings have attacked the town ,and will be there for a week. This is an annual event ,every year in june . There are battles ,kidnappings,and people can walk around the Vikings,and talk to them. They are from Europe and some are from North America. Here are a few photos of boats ,and just click on the photos,and you can see them larger. Also is a video from the Viking Festival last year - and i will add new video soon ,from the festival this year.
Today three groups protested together in Reykjavik. Home alliance ,protesting how the banking crisis is hurting the publics home - Loans increasing and all. Students in university- the student loans are going down - because of the crisis. And A group protesting that the goverment is going to pay the Icesave loans in europe - wich will probably mean - more taxes on the public in ICeland
But the protest was very peaceful - and they put tents in front of the parliement building - ( they had permission frome Reykjavik city ) And protesters shared coffie with the poloce and it was all very peaceful and friendly.
Great weather in Reykjavik today - calm ,sunny and warm So lots of people having fun downtown Reykjavik. Some where joking in munks outfits,otheres where just walking around and having fun,and of course ,the daily protest in front of the parliement building. They where not many today - but they made some noise.
Eva Joly ,the goverment advisor on the banking collapse ,is not happy with the investigation. She wants that the goverment put more money into the investigation,and that the State Prosecutor,step aside. The state prosecutor ,mr. Valtýr Sigurðsson is to connected to the crisis. Mr Valtýrs son mr. Sigurdur Valtæysson ,is one of the CEO of one of the companys named - Exista.
Here is a video from the protest yesterday. There you can see some of the memeberes of parliement ,looking through the window at the protest. Foreing trourists came to watch - and it was free !
Today there was another protest in downtown Reykjavik - Iceland. Not as many as yesterday ,but they who cam ,made a lot of noise. Some members of parliement came out of the parliement building,and talked to some of the protesters. I took a few photos today.
Whaling seson is begining in Iceland. And yesterday ,one of the big whaling ships went for a test sail,before it goes to hunt whales. Here you can see Hvalur 9 ( whale 9 ) go out of Reykjavik harbour yesterday,just after noon.
Today - protest was held today in Reykjavik. People where protesting the goverment for accepting to pay up the Icesave accounts in europe - Here are a few videos i took today.
Today there was a protest in Reykjavik - Iceland. The Icelandic goverment just decided to pay the Icelave debt in Europe. That is around 650 billion kronas. People are angry,because that means that the public must pay - rise in taxes and such. They are arguing - why should the public pay for what the bankers did . The protest was peaceful ,but lot of noise was made. Motorbykes ( three ) stopped in front ,and made a lot of noise ,until the Police asked them to go. Here are a few photos and i will add videos later.
