Squatters have taken up residence in an abandoned house in downtown Reykjavík. The house, located on Vatnstigur, is one of many abandoned houses downtown, most of which had been designated for tearing down to be replaced with newer buildings.
The group who has taken over the building, aftaka.org, have been asked by police to vacate the premises – something the squatters have no intention of doing.
“We who stand by this [squatting operation] intend to change this money-driven society which we live in,” reads a statement on their website in part. “A part of this is defending this house; a house that was intended to fall into the jaws of capitalism, because it was intended here to build shops and offices in its place.”
Squatting has virtually no history in Iceland, and this is by all accounts probably the first such operation of its kind. No word yet as to what action, if any, police intend to take.
(Photo credit: Aftaka.org)