Reykjavik/Stockholm - An online petition recently launched in Iceland protesting the British government's recent use of anti- terrorist legislation to freeze Icelandic bank assets had Sunday gathered over 50,000 names.

The website also features photos of Icelanders holding signs with texts like "I am not a terrorist Mr Brown" and "Gordon Darling We are not to blame," with references to British Minister Gordon Brown and British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling.

The website, www.indefence.is, was set up to protest what was perceived as a "devastating attack" on Iceland after the British government earlier this month used legislation from 2001 to freeze assets in Icelandic banks.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people joined a protest Saturday in Reykjavik calling for Iceland to join the European Union, reports said Sunday.

The North Atlantic nation of some 300,000 people has been hard hit by the global financial crisis, and the collapse of its three largest commercial banks.

Among organizations that took part Saturday were the youth wing of the Progressive Party and the Feminists' Association.

The protest was held the day after Prime Minister Geir Haarde said Reykjavik had signed a deal for a 2.1-billion-dollar emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to help stabilize Iceland's economy.

The deal announced Friday has yet to be approved by the IMF executive board. dpa