In early December, the staff at the 2Guys burger restaurant refused service to a man with a swastika tattoo on his face, reports RÚV. The man and his companions reacted violently, witnesses describe, going on a rampage at the restaurant counter.

2Guys owner Hjalti Vignisson says he stands by his staff’s decision if they feel that their rights have been violated.

He says that neither staff nor customers were harmed, but water bottles were broken and about 50 glasses were damaged in the restaurant.

“This was just an incident where an individual was clearly unwell. But it’s extremely frustrating that people behave like this,” says Hjalti.

He says he contacted the police but does not plan to press charges, as the police told him there is little that can be done in cases like this. His understanding is that the police have had prior encounters with the man.

Hjalti says problems at Hlemmur are nothing new, and the staff at 2Guys have not been unaffected, although incidents like this are exceptions. After Reykjavík city authorities carried out renovations and beautified the area, the situation has improved somewhat, RÚV claims.