According to police estimates, around 4,000 people attended a protest in Austurvöllur square outside parliament in Reykjavík this afternoon. The group Við Viljum kjósa (‘We want to vote’), which organized the protest, is demanding that Iceland’s EU membership application not be withdrawn before a national referendum is held, visir.is reports.
Among the speakers at today’s protest were handball star Ólafur Stefánsson, author Jón Kalmann Stefánsson and director of Pfaff Margrét Kristmannsdóttir.
Protests have been ongoing since the majority of members in the parliamentary groups of both ruling coalition parties voted in favor of stopping European Union membership talks last month.
The decision has received widespread criticism with many arguing that the nation should have the chance to vote on the matter in a national referendum, as promised before last year’s general election.
Around 47,000 people have signed a petition calling for a referendum.
