Politics

As many as 22,000 gathered to demand resignation of PM yesterday: Largest mass protest in Icelandic history

By Staff

Bless $immi Protesters carried signs denouncing Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugss, whose nickname is "Simmi" demanding his resignation or bidding him good-bye, "Bless". Photo/visir.is

According to the estimates of the organizers of yesterday’s protest more than 22,000 people participated in the protests in front of the house of Parliament yesterday. The crowds filled Austurvöllur squared to capacity, spilling into nearby streets. The Metropolitan Police estimated the crowd at 8,000, but admitted that the huge crowds and the size of the protest made it difficult to be certain, arguing the number could easily have been as many as 15,000. Officers quoted by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service said Police had never before seen protest crowds of this size in downtown Reykjavík.

Organizers counted 22,547 people at 17:30

Daði Ingólfsson, one of the organizers of yesterday’s protest published a photo on Facebook showing the counters organizers used to count the number of people entering Austurvöllur square through the four entry points. Their count showed 22,547 people having arrived at the square between 16:30 and 17:30.

22,547 manns taldir kl 17.30. Þá komst fólk ekki lengur að og stóð í hundruða, ef ekki þúsundatali fyrir utan Austurvöll. Talið á öllum fjórum inngöngum frá kl. 16.30. Posted by Daði Ingólfsson on Monday, April 4, 2016

The official figure released by the Metropolitan Police was 8,000, but according to the local news site visir.is Police admits the actual figure could have been much higher, 10-15 thousand. A Police Sargent with the Metropolitan Police added that he did not dispute the figures released by organizers, as Police had found it extremely difficult to count people due to the very fluid nature of the crowd, which spilled into nearby alleys and streets.

The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service quotes a Police spokesman saying yesterday’s protests are the largest ever in downtown Reykjavík.