Still fastened to the masts at the harbour

The women are still standing in the masts of whaling ships in Hvalur hf. after negotiations with the police, which began about twenty minutes past six yesterday.

The police negotiating team boarded the whaling boats at six o’clock yesterday. By 18:20 two officers were up to one side of the mast where they were speaking to the girls who have been standing there since this morning, in order to protest the decision of Minister of Food Svandís Svavarsdóttir to allow whaling again.

It is not clear what went on between the officers and the protesters, but it appeared that the conversation was on the light side because there were bursts of laughter in between.

Ásgeir Þór Ásgeirsson, the chief of the Capital Region Police, told mbl.is, just before the talks, that it was not decided when to take action.

Took away the medicine

Police are not allowing the activists’ supporters at Reykjavík harbour to bring them supplies. This is what Sidney Haugen, a self-employed Norwegian journalist, who arrived in Iceland yesterday on behalf of the UK’s Paul Watson Society, says.

Sidney Haugen was in the harbor area until 1 AM and returned at 5 AM this morning. He says he is here to support the activists and to record any unusual activity, especially the police.

“I didn’t know about the protests when I came to Iceland. I came here to watch the whaling itself,” he says, but the purpose of the trip changed when he heard about the protests.

Communication difficult

Haugen says that supporters on the ground have little to do with the activists in the barrels, but calling out with a megaphone often causes them to scream, often with the thumbs raised or a raised answer, often called “okay. ”

“The police have been very nice to us. There is one big problem, but it is that they do not allow us to bring them [the activists] water and food. They also took the supplies and medicines of one of the activists,” he says.

Spent the night on the docks

Supporting members of the protesters in the barrels of whaling ships Hvalur hf. spent the night at the dock of Reykjavík harbour last night.

It’s been more than 24 hours since activists Elissa and Anahita climbed into the masts of Hvalur 8 and Hvalur 9 and locked themselves there in protest of Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Svandís Svavarsdóttir’s decision to allow whaling again after the hunt was suspended.

The women are still standing in the barrels, but police began negotiations with them at 6:20 PM last night. The women have not given in, but police have been monitoring the harbor area over the night.