Two Icelandic men climbed onto the roof of the prime minister’s office, Stjórnarrád, today to protest against aluminum smelters. The men took down the Icelandic flag which flies from a flag pole that extends from the roof over the main entrance at the front of the building. Instead they raised a flag with the words “No damn smelters”, “Enginn helvítis álver”. The men were promptly arrested and will be questioned later today. According to Morgunbladid, it is not known if they are connected to the group of protesters that protested against the hydroelectric dam at Kárahnjúkar earlier this month.
Stjórnarrád was built as a prison in the years 1761-1771, but in 1819 the Danish governor took the building over for his office and residency. Later the Danish King’s ministers for Iceland used it as an office.
The flag pole on Stjórnarrád was erected in 1918, and the Icelandic flag was first raised there on December 1 when Iceland officially gained home rule.
