More Music, Less Borders

No Borders Iceland organise the upcoming Festival Against Borders

After hosting a series of concerts last spring, activist group No Borders prepares for their biggest show of the year. On July 11, pop stars, punks and party people are set to perform at Iðnó in support of refugees.

Since 2008, the Icelandic division of the international activist group No Borders have campaigned for improvements to the country’s immigration and refugee policy. Throughout its 17 years, the struggle has seen highs and lows, as global developments have pushed more people than ever before to flee their homes.

In addition to direct action, No Borders Iceland has regularly recognised the importance of using arts and culture to promote their cause. Having fostered a revitalisation of their activities with their spring concert series, the group is preparing to host their biggest event of the year: Festival Against Borders, featuring artists such as Pussy Riot, Páll Óskar, Gróa, and Inspector Spacetime, to name a few.

“We’ll always oppose fascists wherever they emerge.”

“We started talking about previous concert series No Borders have organised, including Rave for Refugees,” one organiser explains. The four present for the interview requested anonymity, and have varying levels of experience in the world of activism.

“We just wanted to start something new over the course of the summer, we felt that there was little activity going on at the time,” they continue. “Then, a lot of things have happened in the last months.”

Racist things

Those “things” include the increased prevalence of hate speech and anti-immigration rhetoric in Iceland. Culminating in June, when the protest group “Ísland, þvert á flokka” organised two separate demonstrations outside Alþingi, at least one instance led to verbal clashes between opposing groups of protesters.

For the activists, these developments are worrisome. “We haven’t seen these kinds of developments in Iceland, but we don’t have to look further than mainland Europe to see what’s been going on with the rise of populist, extreme right-wing parties,” comments one organiser.

“This development can be attributed to the discourse we hear from the authorities. Through the years, refugees have been used as a scapegoat for social issues,” they continue. “It’s very easy to point to them and harass marginalised groups if they don’t experience solidarity. It’s a very serious change which we blame authorities for. It means that we must take action and deny this hateful rhetoric and incitement to violence.”

“We’ll always oppose fascists wherever they emerge,” another activist chimes. “No Borders is an anti-fascist group and will always stay that way.”

Cultural visibility

Given the current political situation, keeping No Borders visible within the broader social dialogue is now more important than ever. By hosting cultural events, the activists argue they can better reach the general public by demonstrating their core value of human rights.

“We were discussing the importance of connecting ourselves to the cultural scene,” one activist says. “By taking root within the cultural life, you can achieve long-term effects which wouldn’t be possible by exclusively pressuring authorities. That’s achieved by emphasising the cause and raising awareness of the fact that No Borders are operational, active, and present.”

“To face new challenges, we have to be united, first and foremost.”

In their opinion, this method is working.

“Since our earliest show in March, we’ve seen that there’s a whole new generation attending our events and showing much more interest in activism,” one of them explains.

“It’s been energising to see so many new faces realise that this scene is full of life. It’s good to meet people and have a dialogue. During these conversations, people notice that No Borders is not exclusionary towards new members and participants. We are friendlier than we look,” they joke.

“It can be hard for people to participate in the activity when they see how the media covers protests — especially those who become more intense,” an activist theorises. The concerts, they argue, can be a stepping stone into the movement.

“Hosting these concerts, everyone’s in a good mood, and they allow for conversations and connections with the activists. It’s a relaxed way to get into the movement, and doesn’t involve going directly up to the person holding the loudspeaker at a protest,” they say.

Social solidarity

According to the organisers, the arts are a crucial part of fostering solidarity among disparate societal groups, giving an example of how the cultural memory of Europe in the 1930s was primarily archived through art.

“That has always been the case how events have been remembered, but also how awareness spreads. It creates a picture you can look at and allows you to reflect the current situation as well as clearing things up for you,” one activist says.

“Arts, especially music, have the power to bring people together. To face new challenges, we have to be united, first and foremost. Art helps us reach that,” another organiser adds.

Festival Against Borders takes place at Iðnó on July 11. The event boasts a full-day schedule, with workshops happening before the official music schedule. For tickets and more information, visit their website nobordersiceland.org and tix.is.