In an act of vandalism, the rainbow flag adorning the Skólavörðustígur street in Reykjavík was defaced with white paint early Sunday morning. A resident of Skólavörðustígur told RÚV that he was saddened by the act.
Saddened by the sight
The Reykjavík police received a report of the incident early Sunday after resident Óttarr Makuch discovered the damage around 8 AM. “I woke up, poured some coffee, and saw our beautiful rainbow defaced,” Óttarr told RÚV. “This must have been done between 6 and 7 this morning. From now on, I’m going to wake up at 6!”
The rainbow painted on the street had been splashed with white paint; the derogatory phrase “LGBT LOSER” marred the symbol of inclusivity. Óttarr urged the community not to dwell on the incident. “The colours are much brighter than the vandalism, so the joy really shines through. But the individual responsible clearly needs help.”
Óttarr added that he had heard tourists outside his house passing through Skólavörðustígur, many of whom were surprised by the incident. “They are surprised that there are such acts of vandalism on a rainbow in Iceland, where everything is supposed to be so peaceful and great.”
City of Reykjavík employees arrived at Skólavörðustígur Sunday morning to begin cleaning, according to Óttarr. “Örn with the City of Reykjavík is going to clean up this mess and make our rainbow beautiful again.”
The white paint has since been removed.
