Anarchism in Iceland

Anarchists organizing squats in Reykjavík

Anarchism in Iceland is a relatively small political movement which saw a surge in activity in the early 21st century. The medieval Icelandic Commonwealth established a stateless legal system in the country, before its colonisation by the Kingdom of Denmark. After independence, anarchism slowly gained a small following in activist circles and in the punk subculture of the 1980s. During the early 2000s, anarchists became involved in publishing and distributing anarchist texts in the Icelandic language, and some joined the environmentalist organisation Saving Iceland, which led to a resurgence in activism in the country. Anarchists achieved their greatest prominence during the 2009 Icelandic financial crisis protests, in which they formed the vanguard of the movement, sharing their experience with newer activists and taking initiative in direct actions. Anarchists then participated in the constitutional reform process of the early 2010s, which they encouraged for the use of direct democracy. During this period, a number of anarchist activists were elected to public office, with Jón Gnarr becoming Mayor of Reykjavík and Birgitta Jónsdóttir becoming a member of parliament.