Public protest when Iceland joins NATO 1949

Newly discovered Video of a Public unrest on Austurvelli following the decision of the Icelandic Government to join NATO in 1949, one of the most unpopular decisions in Icelands otherwise peaceful political history (1944-2007)

EDIT: thats before the collapse of the banks and the "Sound Pollution Revolution" (Potta og Pönnu byltingin) that forced a new election, which resulted in the Rightwing party (that was responsible for the bank monitoring mistakes done in Iceland) being kicked out for a left wing party which is now in power with the middle party which is the only one really interested in joining the EU.

Nýtt myndefni af mótmælum á Austurvelli 1949 - Icelandic National Telivision http://www.ruv.is/

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Iceland
• NATO
• unrest
• Austurvelli
• www.ruv.is
• unpopular
• government
• decisions
• 2007
• not
• icesafe

[pallz2]

Hvernig væri að hafa mótmæli hvern einasta 30.mars ??? :P til dæmis næsta 30.mars verða 60 ár síðan ísland gekk í nató.

[NetPatriot]

god hugmynd.

[ellitho]

When our land got independence from Denmark our "founding fathers" stated clearly that we should be a neutral country. Joining and co-founding Nato clearly goes against our neutrality position. Plus why pay for something we don't need?

[duffyMM]

free iceland !

no nwo now !

resistance !

[TheIcelandicPatriot]

@alieu156 True the Soviets would propabky nuke oss but if we would be in Nato then Nato countries would have to retaliate, if we would be neutural then no body would have to do a god dam thing. There are two who have, the Americans and the British. But we all welcomed there arival, not a single shot was fired, only few politictians that protested but thats it. They obeyed our laws during there stay, we traded, and we got good friends in the prosess.

They are our friends, They are our family.

[alieu156]

@TheIceland Iceland would not have been important if it wasn't for the US base. If war had broke out, Rejkavik probably would have been nuked. There is no way the Soviets would have nuked Iceland if it was neutral. Funny how they always make you afraid of these faraway threats, isn't Britain the only country to have actually occupied Iceland since independence?

[TheIcelandicPatriot]

@ellitho Simple. Neutrality gives very little protection and if it comes to war we will have an army to protect oss.

Cowards pick neutrality. If we vote for freedom then that side is ours.

[TheIcelandicPatriot]

@alieu156 The Soviets were pigs. If Iceland would be a strategic island (it is) and if Nato would not asked oss to join the Soviets would have taken our country. As i inplied in my other comment, Just because your neutural does not make you 100% safe. Only 20% or so. This was a time where we needed to pick a side. And we picked well.

[alieu156]

@TheIcelandicPatriot Actually joining Nato dramatically increased the probability Iceland would be attacked during the Cold War. The US had a submarine detection centre as well as an airbase located in Iceland. The anti-submarine centre was key to Nato strategy in the North Atlantic. This meant that Iceland would become an obvious target for the Soviets if war broke out. Iceland probably would have been nuked. If Iceland had been neutral, the Soviets would have no reason to attack it.

[TheIcelandicPatriot]

i have 2 things to say 1, all of those protestors are communists(vinstri grænir og samfilkingin) and 2, if we get out of nato other countries can attack oss and no one needs to help oss if we stay in nato and get attack other nato nations are obligated to help oss. but if we join the EU we will lose our independence and we will allsoe lose it if those communists stay longer in power. dont forget that netherland and luxenburg were neutral during ww2 and they were defeaded. leingi lifi Ísland!!!

[TheIcelandicPatriot]

i have 2 things to say 1, all of those protestors are communists(vinstri grænir og samfilkingin) and 2, if we get out of nato other countries can attack oss and no one needs to help oss if we stay in nato and get attack other nato nations are obligated to help oss. but if we join the EU we will lose our independence and we will allsoe lose it if those communists stay longer in power. dont forget that netherland and luxenburg were neutral during ww2 and they were defeaded.

[Lillymill]

Anti-NATO and anti-EU?! :-,

What a refreshment!

Wanna move to Iceland! :))