Police close two city-centre venues over underage patrons

Police evacuated and closed two entertainment venues in the city centre after finding large numbers of people under the legal age inside, mbl.is reported. One of the venues was Prikið on Laugavegur.

Jóhann Karl Þórisson, assistant chief of the Capital Region Police, said officers conducted extensive checks of restaurants and entertainment venues throughout the weekend. The number of people under 20 at the two venues left police with no alternative but to clear and close them, he told mbl.is.

Geoffrey Þ. Huntingdon-Williams, one of Prikið’s owners, said earlier that young people had made an “onslaught” on the venue. He criticised the decision to close it on one of the busiest nights of the year, saying the police could have shown greater restraint. According to Geoffrey, staff were already working to remove the underage guests when the venue was closed.

Jóhann said the overall operation during Culture Night went well. Three people were arrested and held in police cells after a fight in which a knife and knuckledusters were used.

No one was stabbed, Jóhann said, but one person involved in the fight suffered a cut. Those responsible are no longer in police custody.

Police also dealt with considerable underage drinking. Patrols on foot and bicycles focused on young people, confiscating alcohol and pouring it away before contacting their parents.

Jóhann said most people had come to enjoy the celebrations and behaved well. He praised the police, emergency responders and others involved in organising the event.