This morning, a group of people gathered outside of the Harpa concert hall to protest against the Russian government’s stance on LGBT rights for its citizens, reports Vísir.
Protest against Russian policy
The Arctic Council meeting is taking place at Harpa this morning, as the chairmanship of the council shifts from Iceland to Russia, after two years in the presidency. The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, will therefore take over the leadership of the council.
His presence has drawn a sizeable crowd outside of Harpa after Þorbjörg Þorvaldsdóttir and Andrean Sigurgeirsson, chairman and vice-chairman of the Samtökin 78 (the National Queer Association of Iceland), called for people to gather outside of Harpa to protest the suppression and injustices of LGBT rights in Russia.
Giving a voice to those who may not be heard
Samtökin 78 explains in an article published by Vísir that the government of Russia has systematically made the lives of queer people extremely challenging. They mention Russia’s ban on so-called “queer propaganda” in 2013, as public promotion of LGBT rights in Russia was deemed illegal in 2013; the government has unabashedly accelerated public hostility towards members of the LGBT community in Russia.
Protestors here in Reykjavík are raising pride flags for those in Russia that cannot, as an injustice somewhere is an injustice everywhere.
Note: Due to the effect the Coronavirus is having on tourism in Iceland, it’s become increasingly difficult for the Grapevine to survive. If you enjoy our content and want to help the Grapevine’s journalists do things like eat and pay rent, please consider joining our High Five Club.
You can also check out our shop, loaded with books, apparel and other cool merch, that you can buy and have delivered right to your door.
Also you can get regular news from Iceland—including the latest notifications on eruptions, as soon as they happen—by signing up to our newsletter.
