On May 31, 2024, a group of anti-war and pro-Palestine protesters gathered to demonstrate outside a government meeting on Skuggasund. As a group of protesters lay down on the street to block the passage of a government official’s vehicle, police responded to this peaceful demonstration with pepper spray, exposing 20-30 people. Protestors observed that police could have directed the vehicle to a different, more commonly used exit, but seemingly chose to direct the car towards the protest. Many called the pepper spraying indiscriminate, while police state it was a response to protesters failing to follow police instructions.
Since the incident, some of the protesters sued the state in June 2024 over the use of force outside this government meeting, represented by attorney Oddur Ástráðsson. This was brought to the district court, and they ruled against the protesters. Now, the protesters appealed the verdict, bringing the case to the Court of Appeal.
When asked about the original district court ruling and the importance of appealing that verdict, Oddur explains, “We strongly object to the district court’s decision, particularly its conclusion that the protest was not peaceful. We believe it is important to challenge that finding in defence of the public’s right to peaceful protest and civil disobedience. That is why we decided to appeal the case to the Court of Appeal.”
Further, the protesters in question launched the website motmaeli.is — mótmæli meaning “protest” in Icelandic. The group of the protesters behind the website have named their association “Dýrið” (The Beast in Icelandic), which calls back to a comment of a police officer during the protests in Skuggasund. The aim of the group is to utilise this case on a larger scale as an opportunity to solidify the right to protest and limit the state’s restrictions on that right.
In these efforts, the group has partnered with artist and Gallery Port director Árni Már to auction a piece of his work to raise funds for Dýrið’s efforts. The artist states: “On the occasion of the one-year anniversary since the police used unnecessary force and violence against peaceful protesters, we are offering this work for auction in support of The Beast (Dýrið), an association for the right to protest, to assist them in their mission to defend our constitutional right to protest.”
The piece itself is stark, as the artist explains, “This artwork features the colours of the Palestinian flag, boldly layered with the phrase ‘Let’s make children’ painted over the haunting words ‘Kill children.’ The contrast highlights the brutal cost of violence while reclaiming hope. It calls for unity, urging compassion, and a collective commitment to peace and humanity. Let’s make babies and be nice to one another.”
The auction runs until Saturday at 17:00, but the appeal, filed in April 2025, does not have a court date as of yet.
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