Reykjavik  - What began Monday as a celebration of Iceland's 90th birthday since its independence from Denmark in 1918 turned into protests by several hundred people who stormed to the central bank in anger over the government's handling of the financial crisis.

The protests were a continuation of demonstrations over the weekend that drew several thousand people despite freezing conditions.

Monday's protestors pushed into the Central Bank foyer, loudly demanding the resignation of Central Bank chief David Oddsson. Over the weekend, angry Icelanders demanded that Prime Minister Geir Haarde step down. Similar calls for the two men to step down have punctuated recent weeks.

The two men are being held accountable for the financial breakdown, bank collapses and accumulation of huge debt in the country of 320,000 on the island nation in the icy North Atlantic. The crisis followed on the US financial crisis that started unravelling in earnest in mid September.

The Icelandic krone has lost three-quarters of its value over 12 months. The government has only been able to ward off bankruptcy through credits from the International Monetary Fund and other governments.

Iceland is in for a tough year in 2009 as the economy is expected to shrink by 10 per cent, unemployment to quadruple, and inflation to hit 20 per cent.

Recent central bank figures for November have inflation at 17 per cent.

Possible options that Haarde's Independence Party may seek include applying for membership in the European Union. The party has traditionally been a sceptic toward the 27-nation bloc, but a reassessment has been forced in the wake of the global credit crunch that in October contributed to the collapse of Iceland's three major banks.

Coalition partner the Social Democratic Alliance party is more favourably inclined toward EU membership. (dpa)