Two Protesters Chained To Whaling Ships

On the morning of September 4, protesters Elissa Bijou and Anahita Babaei climbed onboard two whaling ships docked in the Reykjavík harbour, chaining themselves in the crow‘s nests.

The actions follow the recent government decision to lift the temporary whaling ban, which lasted from June 20 to August 31.

Shortly after protesters showed up, police were called to the scene to stop the protest. One police officer tried to pull Anahita out of the crow’s nest, unsuccessfully.

Police confiscated the protesters‘ backpacks which contained food, water, and medical supplies. Officers have allegedly also stopped supporters from delivering basic equipment to the protesters.

Elissa and Anahita stayed overnight, supported by ground-level protesters.

An ambulance was called to the scene on the morning of Tuesday, September 5, as one protester’s health seemed to be deteriorating.

Kristján Loftsson, owner of Hvalur hf – Iceland‘s only whaling company – stated in a conversation with RÚV that the company won‘t hunt today due to weather conditions.