At this moment 19,101 Icelanders have signed up for the Facebook group “We refuse to pay debts that we are not responsible for” (IceSave). It has become the online forum for those who want to support the protests in front of Althingi this week.

This would be similar to 19 million Americans, adjusted for population.

No wonder the “establishment” and the “mainstream media” are afraid of the internet.

Since the economic crash in Iceland, it has been extremely difficult for the mainstream media and politicians to cover the events of our days without bloggers beating them to it, with faster and more critical reporting.

And Facebook has become a revolutionary tool for a peaceful revolution.

Through the site, groups have been able to advertise their meetings regarding various issues relating to the crash and of course urge people to protest in numbers never before seen in Iceland. Information and opionion has also been shared through Facebook and blogs that otherwise would have been edited or PR’d to death.

Update, while I am writing this the number has grown to 19,130. Yesterday when I signed up it was at 12,151.

Other groups have also struck a nerve, “Helvitis, fokkings fokk” has more than 9,000 members, “No more Geir” from when Geir Haarde was crime minister (oops sorry, prime minister) has more than 7,000 members and “I object to the raising of taxes” has over 4,500 members.

19,144 and rising, someone get Mark Zuckerberg’s face on a T-shirt.

ps: oops, phone rang and in the meantime it is up to 19,181.

Related posts:

1. Icelandic Politicians And Businessmen on Facebook
2. The Latte Revolution
3. New media’s finest hour
4. Longing For Another Kiss of Death
5. The Continued Shame Of The Icelandic Media