Iceland Palestine supporters walk 10 km to demand stronger action

Participants walked 10 kilometres in the capital region on Saturday to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and pressure the Icelandic government to take further action against Israel, mbl.is reported. The boycott march was held for the third consecutive year in both the capital region and Akureyri.

In the capital region, participants walked from Thorsplan in Hafnarfjörður to Klambratún in Reykjavík, where a solidarity meeting began at 5pm. Organisers said the distance was intended to underline that the boycott is a long-term project.

“Boycotting is an effective and peaceful way to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and take a stand against those who profit from the seizure of land, occupation and war crimes by the Israeli authorities,” representatives of the Icelandic Boycott Movement, BDS Iceland, said.

They said the movement supports boycotting Israel and Israeli products until the Israeli government complies with international law and respects the freedom and rights of Palestinians.

The march was organised by BDS Iceland, the Iceland-Palestine Association, the charity Vonarbrú, Dýrið, an organisation focused on the right to protest, Academics for Palestine and the Student Association of the University of Akureyri.

The organisers described the Icelandic government’s measures against Israel as “far too weak” and, at best, symbolic. They referred to measures announced earlier in the week by Iceland and 11 other countries over Israeli settlements, saying the measures reflected public pressure but were largely symbolic and unlikely to have much practical impact.

The organisers are calling on Iceland to withdraw from its free-trade agreement with Israel, boycott the country in all areas, including culture, sport and higher education, and sever diplomatic relations with Israel.