police state – nanny state… make up your mind.

How were Yle, Hesari, HBL and all the rest supposed to refer to a protest called Smash ASEM? You could say the same about the American media and Al Qaeda.

But in any case, I think you are actually hinting towards the reason. The Finnish police are simply completely inexperienced at handling such events as they are so very rare. So yes, I think they did slightly over react.. but probably out of inexperience and thus the nervousness in having to deal with such an unusual event (for them). The same thing probably caused the Swedish police’s (far more) heavy handed response to the protests in Göteborg at the EU-USA summit last time Sweden held EU presidency. Although, I think there were also issues with the Swedish police leadership at the time also, which I don’t think Finland has.

How were Yle, Hesari, HBL and all the rest supposed to refer to a protest called Smash ASEM?

They absolutely have every right to say whatever they want, I think it’s just silly that they took some 2-bit website and organization so seriously. The riot turnout probably multiplied by 10x thanks to the media’s constant mentioning of Smash ASEM.

who can control media in such a free state?

Had the police (who were evidently “monitoring” the Smash-ing ASEM site) not publicized them in the first place would ANY of this have happened?

BTW, I just watched one of the YouTube videos posted above… They didn’t look like “anarchists” to me, they just looked like nervous people in front of an enormous advancing line of riot-geared cops.

Nevermind, I take that back, of course the media could take some 2-bit website/organization so seriously, Matti Nykänen’s drunken escapades blankets the fronts of magazines every other day, so of course some teenage punks would be “real news”.

And incidentally, why is it illegal for protesters to wear masks at demonstrations, but it is totally kosher for the poliisi to have their faces totally obscured?

They afraid of reprisals?

What do you think protesters are afraid of?

Had the police (who were evidently “monitoring” the Smash-ing ASEM site) not publicized them in the first place would ANY of this have happened?

Well obviously they want people there to beat up and arrest. So helping publicize the group would be the obvious thing to do.

It is truly frightening.

The one thing many people seem to be forgetting is that all the other demonstrations, the ones which were conducted in orderly fashion, did not attract such a show of force from the police. Instead, the cops focused on this one the organizers of which promised (in their own words) to “bring disorder to the streets of Helsinki”.
Overreacting? I think not.

Illegal behavior by the police? Where? And who did they beat up? All the videos I’ve seen show the police behaving correctly. This bunch of spoiled brats who call themselves Smash ASEM pledged to “bring disorder to the streets of Helsinki”, and when the police prevented that, they’re now crying like the babies they are.

It’s too bad if innocent bystanders got arrested and held by the police, but that’s really the fault of these good-for-nothing hooligans. Had they intended to demonstrate peacefully like many other groups did, none of this would have happened.

I think Police acted exactly the right way. The “anarchists” had threatened to bring mayhem to Helsinki streets, supposedly to help Chinese farmers (yeah, brilliant logic…) So Police came in big numbers to SHOW their force, so they wouldn’t have to use it. And it worked, there was no serious violence around.

Just the “prisoners” having to soil themselves on the bus. I read about someone’s arm being broken. And despite the red mohawk on the fellow in the picture above, did he really need a Doc Marten in his back?

Phil, your blog is great! Very interesting topics and I love to read your thoughts on Finland and finnish society.

Those poor kids were about the only newsworthy event in a complete non-event in the world media. A few drunken kids smashing bottles and windows in the street like a typical saturday night might have actually gotten the impotent summit some media attention.

I mean, doesn’t SUPO have any intelligence that could find out if the kids with the website were a real threat and spare the folks downtown the riot brigade?

*care*

Police did the right thing, its not their fault that some morons didnt understand to stay far away from those ‘anarchists’.

If they told the public to bring some havoc to the streets, isnt preventing such from happening work of a police forces?
And what is the great meaning, that pulls normal people in such situation which calls out for violence?
Oh yes, its the curiosity.

Like in some newspaper article I read, they wrote that a fight is going to happen between these groups, in this place and in this time. Next day the news paper show’d a picture filled with curious people and couple police officers. The fight never happened in that place, and that time. Because nothing happened, the police did nothing.

Now, when some of those people did cause, or attempt violence towards police officers, the right action was taken.

If you act stupid, you’ll get it back. If you are stupid enough to be with the stupid, only thing you can do is to face the consequences.

If you have a group of 15 people, one of them is quilty or suspected as quilty for some criminal activity. Should you let all of them pass, or question them all to find the real criminal?
I’d go the second option…

I’d say its 50/60. Atleast they’ve trained the riot squad – needs maybe a bit more training, but atleast its not submachine guns and cavalry charges like in the 1940′s…

Phil has stated many times he hates democracy, law and justice.

Now you have gonne too far. I know you have no respect towards democratic state but this is so much bullshit that… ugh!

I guess we should have let those anarchist destroy private property so you could call the police weak socialists.

Yeah, go write how you like snow for the next article to prove that you are not Finnish hating bastard. Oh, I forgot that hating open and democratic state does not mean hating Finland. Finland apperantly is collective culture like eating rye bread and watching hockey. Individual libertarian in my ass!

but I guess you missed the big PEACEFUL demonstrations before these punks.

Violence is libertarian way when democracy stops you down.

How do innocent bystanders get detained without the police just having fun and arbitrary manhandling people? Those bystanders obviously did not show any sign of violence or menacing behaviour – how the fuck is it that this little fact eluded those officers?

The nuts who were there to cause hysteria , the “anarchists”, got exactly what they derserved – I just hope the nuts in blue will too.

In Kekkoslovakia, the police did not have right to listen to telephones or private homes, join undercover to criminal organizations or buy drugs and all they knew about riot management was how to say “Hajjaantukkee” (disassemble in Savo dialect)

They could beat your ass blue, if you didn’t know, when to shut up and keep you arrested for longer time without formal charges, which is different today. Citizens have also more freedoms, than in Kekkoslovakia so I guess our police state score has remained pretty constant.

Anarchists received, what they ordered. If you advertise some window smashing and beach excavation (what’s under the stone cover of a street?) exercise, it’s pretty useless to cry mommy afterwards for getting policed. The police could have exercised some common sense too and at least not have those grannies detained we saw on TV.

Is it okay for the police to take pre-emptive action to prevent a crime (the protesters having ‘threatened’ and ‘pledged’ havoc and mayhem) and violate constitutional rights in the process?. I think this is a dangerous road to take. Admittedly though, I wasn’t there and I don’t know if any serious disorder actually took place before the demonstration was broken down.

The police were probably under some pressure to keep things orderly after the Kamppi spray painting incident. I don’t think the public wanted to see any more of that sort of thing.

Let’s not forget what Smash Asem was protesting: Finland’s exorbitant income taxes, high consumer prices and the illegitimate automobile tax. These are all highly emotional issues, so police had every reason to take precautions.

From the videos, I didn’t see the police overreact. But having the dogs was probably a bit overkill, IMO.

And nobody remembers the riots in Gothenburg when anarchists went on rampage and there were investigations and allegations for a couple of years after that – then add all the destruction that the anarchists caused – you pay for such destruction with your tax-euros, remember?
And there WERE peaceful protests that the police did nothing about, but there was apparently something “weird” about these masked “peaceful” anarchists that made the police take action against them – and I’m glad they did.
The police did their job and they did it well. And I feel that I can really be proud of the fact that they dare to do stop whining anarchists who later on play the victims.

aet75 – In Finland, you’ll be charged of manslaughter because the police will die of laughter if you start babbling about your “constitutional rights”. The Finnish Constitution is like any other law in the book, its been rewritten last in 2000.

And while there was the thing around Kiasma, at the same time the dangerous and foreign organization of Falun Gong did some yoga flying at the Esplanade lawns… so I wouldn’t say Finns are a “Police State”. Imagine in Kekkoslovakia some foreign protesters be let in the country?

“Imagine in Kekkoslovakia some foreign protesters be let in the country?”

Where have you gone, Eila Kännö, a nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you.

Ok, now I am dissapointed in your style of handling this, Phil. According to none of the stories YLE* and HS** have polices “kicked some hippy ass”.

* http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/kotimaa/id42628.html
** http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/artikkeli/Lue+lukijoiden+kertomuksia+mielenosoituksesta/1135221542414

If the name of the ralliers was Smash ASEM, what should they be called? “Hippy asses”?

Police acted prior to major damage or violence, but you know, if there are protesters planning to march on Mannerheim street and shut down the whole street without permission and wreack havoc in general, that is in itself a good reason to break the situation down. It’s not like they should wait around corner to see every individual actually throw the first stone.

There were many people inside the ring, who were not part of the protest or even if they were, meant not to do anything more illegal then taking part on the unannouced demonstartion (some of them claimed they thought it was properly reported to police in beforehand and organized like it should have). Every time someone is detained, their normal civilian rights are violated – that is true. But I am all for peacefull demonstrations, but they demonstrators have to agree to follow police’s guidelines. This time they didn’t and police in general didn’t get provocated.

It wasn’t Göteborg all over again – thanks to both calm protesters and police.

“Is it okay for the police to take pre-emptive action to prevent a crime (the protesters having ‘threatened’ and ‘pledged’ havoc and mayhem) and violate constitutional rights in the process?. I think this is a dangerous road to take. Admittedly though, I wasn’t there and I don’t know if any serious disorder actually took place before the demonstration was broken down.”

It is not only okay for the police to take pre-emptive action to prevent crimes — it’s their duty. What “constitutional rights” did they violate? I have seen no evidence of any violations.

“Just the ‘prisoners’ having to soil themselves on the bus. I read about someone’s arm being broken.”

No one’s arm was broken, it’s just something some disgruntled little “anarchist” made up on the Internet. However, I perfectly believe that these “anarchists” soiled their pants — it’s pretty inevitable for such a bunch of momma’s boys.

To #10:
The other protest had submitted their plans to police in advance.

The system in Finland is that you must pronounce your plans for the demonstration and if it’s not causing too much problems to traffic or breaking law (for example advocating for violence or material damages), you actually get police to escort the demonstration or march. Then they are there to make sure the traffic gives way or that an agitated passerby doesn’t mug a demonstrator (almost happened with gay & lesbian adoption rights demonstration).

“Then they are there to make sure the traffic gives way or that an agitated passerby doesn’t mug a demonstrator (almost happened with gay & lesbian adoption rights demonstration).”

Maybe the ‘mugger’ just wanted to see what was in the guy’s pants?

“However, I perfectly believe that these “anarchists” soiled their pants — it’s pretty inevitable for such a bunch of momma’s boys.”

You talk big, but when was the last time you were handcuffed and refused basic human rights such as using a toilet?

Who said it was only boys who were arrested? I saw more than a few females in the pictures and video.

FROM YLE NEWS:
“”"“The actions of the police were justified,” Rajamäki said in a press conference on Tuesday morning. “Police acted in order to ensure the security of the public.”

He added that demonstrators were found to have in their possession dangerous items which did not belong at any peaceful demonstration.”"”

Nowhere does the article (or the police?) specify what those items were. I am waiting for this so-called investigation…Yeah right.

Does anyone else think they were all just a bit lazy and not really putting any effort into it? The police obviously didn’t have their hearts in it as they didn’t even get their truncheons out, let alone chuck some tear gas in or get the water canons going. The limit of their “natsipaska” tactics seemed to be walking slowly down a street hold ikea plastic tea trays in front of them. And the anarchists! Phah! A bunch of posturing little kids who have got all the left-radical-chic fashion right but don’t seem to have grasped that you are meant to throw stuff! Heavy stuff! What a let down… it seems they thought they could “Smash ASEM” by sending some drunk dude up to the police line where he slapped their ikea tea trays with a floppy bit of cardboard. As riots go, that was a pathetic one. I feel really let down by all concerned. Finland continues to be the civilised and boring place that it has been for decades.

Phil is either lying or, more likely, being the usual idiot eager to jump to conclusions about things he has no fucking clue whatsoever about. Those YouTube videos aren’t even showing a glimpse of the riot! You might as well show us your home videos and scream “SEE, there was NO riot!” – that would be exactly equally honest blogging.

At least the first ones are only showing the crowd of bystanders and the police guiding them away from the riot. I was in that crowd being pushed back, too, and there was nothing whatsoever wrong with what the police was doing. Just the opposite, before they started the push I was thinking that they *should* clear the area, as it was obviously getting unsafe with the curious onlookers pouring there despite the police sealing most ways of entry. I can’t testify for anything that might’ve happened inside the encirclement, as I couldn’t see there from the outside, but I can testify for most of what’s in those videos and it’s just the police doing exactly the right thing. With a massive crowd of onlookers in a tight place in the center of a city things could easily spiral out of control and even if things would’ve stayed calm otherwise, the police can’t watch over individuals in such a situation (people were eg. risking electrocution by climbing on the tram electric line supports to see something, obviously dangerously stupid stuff happening when the police had more important stuff to deal with – those anarchists armed with metal pipes and everything – clearing the area was exactly the right thing to do).

Hey, let’s face it: If there are still girls out-front, then it aint a real riot yet

“You talk big, but when was the last time you were handcuffed and refused basic human rights such as using a toilet?”

I think they soiled themselves long before anyone was handcuffed.

“Who said it was only boys who were arrested? I saw more than a few females in the pictures and video.”

Perhaps, but, frankly, it’s hard to tell the boys from the girls in this case.

“Nowhere does the article (or the police?) specify what those items were. I am waiting for this so-called investigation…Yeah right.”

You’re almost cute in your teenage conviction that the Finnish police are evil Nazis. There’s a picture of some of those items at the end of this MTV3 newscast:

http://nettitv.mtv3.fi/uutiset/index.shtml/uutiset/uutiset/seitsemanuutiset?83415#83415

Why don’t you go back to your safe state-funded job, Turjake and worry about if the taxes will rise to pay for all those stormtrooper helmets.

http://holtz.org/Library/Images/Novelty/arguing%20on%20internet%202.jpg

You can take your pick:

1.

The police turn up with two guys and a dog. The so-called anarchists are thrilled and eagerly stone the two guys and a dog, who beat a hasty retreat followed by an enthusiastic jeering crowd who have the feeling that they have won and can walk on water. The two guys and a dog then call in serious back-up against a group that, thanks to a neat adrenaline rush, is temporarily punching above its weight. The couple of hundred riot police brought into the field late in the day are trying to catch up with the game and they smack people around good and proper. A stray rubber bullet to the head from a cop isolated and under fire takes someone out – mayhem ensues. This is the Gothenburg model. They are still running the post mortem on that disaster – and police forces all over Europe are showing the videos as an example of what NOT to do.

2. The police go in mob-handed and use a “luulot pois” technique: “Have some of THIS, muthafuckers, What you going to do NOW, girliemen?” The planned disturbance fizzles out into nothing much except an exercise in police overkill, hardly anybody gets hurt, nobody has any anti-State fun, and everyone and his mother in Blogistan complains – EXCEPT those who weren’t there rubbernecking, the taxpayer (who would have had to pay for all that police overtime anyway, even if the police had used Plan 1), and the Finnish state, which avoids the acute embarrassment caused to Sweden (in Gothenburg) the Czech Republic (in Prague) and the U.S. (in Seattle, for instance) for the fiascos that ensued there.

If someone has boasted they are going to do something, it is the obligation of the police – assuming that that something is a threat to law and public order and could be a threat to the safety of non-combatants – to pre-emptively stop it. That’s what they did. In much the same way as you would take away the car-keys from someone who was so wasted they thought they could drive home. Sure, they’d scream at you for restricting their freedom, but fuck ‘em. The 2,000 who turned out earlier in the day played by the rules, and the police stopped the traffic for them – real stormtrooper stuff, yeah.

Personally, whilst I’d doubtless have been pissed at having been thoroughly trumped by Uncle Pig if I were one of the protesters, I’d probably still rather have a situation such as in Plan 2 than one in which bullets started flying because the police were feeling nervous and threatened. THEN you’d have a real shitstorm coming down, when supposed pros with guns are put in the position of acting like amateurs, as they were in Sweden.

I’m horribly afraid that much of this argument is fuelled by a childish sense of frustration that “Waaah! We couldn’t party like we wanted to”. Get over it.

The person who commented about the Night of the Arts incident makes a sound point: the police effectively lost that battle (though I suppose they “won” in the end) by underestimating the opposition – they strolled this one by overestimating them.

I don’t think the police’s handling of the “anarchists” is the issue here, it’s about the innocent bystanders who were arrested, held, photo graphed etc..

Phil – It is curious considering the extremes of privacy and lack thereof in different points on the information grid these days. System sendmail logs are sensitive in the extreme, but your income tax record is available to god and country. Supposedly the information will be disposed of but information once collected is hard to kill.

#36. Suviko, I’m not used to them smileys and probably there isn’t one wide enough.
Maybe that wasn’t too kind to some of the retarted ones, but still…

well shit happens.. stop complaining.. police state yes.. free cannabis!!

Police informed in the newspapers (perhaps it was Thursday) that they a) will detain people and b) there is a risk that bystanders might get in trouble too. They recommended that it is better to stay at home than be in the audience. So I figured that the creme de la creme of the beating up will be in the news anyhow. But the entertainment value vas very low and I was disappointed.

“Why don’t you go back to your safe state-funded job, Turjake and worry about if the taxes will rise to pay for all those stormtrooper helmets.”

But I work for a private company. I have no qualms about paying for a police force as professional and efficient as the Finnish one.

Suviko (re #36): So now that you won, I guess you’re a retard?

? (re #44): Who smelt it, dealt it, dude.

Just look how efficiently the Russian police handled thing’s during G8 summmit at St. Petersburg. Talk about a police state.

This whole thing of trying to portray Finland as somekind of a fascist police state is beyond any decency and perspective. Most likely it’s just a case of “I’m an angry badass teenager with a bad haircut and a mutilated and pierced face and I want to scream and yell and call everyone fascist because they won’t let me do what the hell I want and break whatever I like”-syndrome.

“here’s a chance to have some fun and be given a government-backed excuse to kick some hippy ass.”

You have got to be kidding me.

I’m more than willing to allow the police to do their job, if some bored teens notify in their website that “OMG we so gonna cause, like, chaos, bcuz Che Guevara, like, rocks!!!1″. If innocent bystanders get hurt, then the blame really does fall on the dumb youth, that seems to be unaware of such a concept as ‘law’.

The Police made a fool of themselves. Rajamäki is hysterical. He should resign. All Police action should be investigated.

Finally value for tax money!

If police does its job > bashing
If lazy mommas kids draw some graffitis, break windows and police isnt stoppin them > bashing

Such a wonderful place.

Back from a self-imposed Phil break – if only you would be troll-hosting a liberally minded site!

In any case I have little sympathy towards the “Anarchists” – they were clearly planning another mayhem on Helsinki streets, and not for any good purpose. If the police were unnecessarily hamhanded, it was a welcome present for the organizers. I suppose it’s a good sign that the Finnish authorities are quite unaccustomed to civil disturbances… Nevertheless I would hope for intelligent containment by the police.

#23 well the constitution still rules supreme over other laws. Good thing it can be modified though.

Limiting citizens political freedoms is “police’s job”?
Perhaps in Soviet Union, not in Finland.

“Limiting citizens political freedoms is “police’s job”?
Perhaps in Soviet Union, not in Finland.”

Don’t be stupid. Causing disturbance has nothing to do with freedom. ‘Freedom’ is me walking in downtown Helsinki without having to worry about some teenagers who wish to damage other people’s property.

Rioting or threatening to cause a riot is not part of a citizens political freedom. Protesting and demonstrating peacefully is.

Rioting or threatening to cause a riot is not part of a citizens political freedom. Protesting and demonstrating peacefully is.

Applying some Nokian youth counsellor on people who have trouble understanding the distinction is only healthy.

Interestingly, re #38 and #39

- If I was there and photographed the rioters, this is a free country and I can take pictures and publish them as much as I please, and etch them in stone.

- If I was there as a police officer, I can’t take pictures, or if I do I need to log every entry and after the investigation is over I need to destroy them and not use them in anything unrelated (say someone is nicking a grannys purse)…

Police state my ass.

#56 Nokian youth counsellor

oh man… needed to re-wire that a few times in the brain, even I am supposedly notorious making “direct translations”

For the innocents: Nokia=black rubber products like boots, tyres and billyclubs… the copper wrapped in rubber spawned some telephone thing…

In the old days Nokia really answered to all your communication needs. From the billyclubs to damned 217 company radio and the artillery fire management systems. I think most of it is now a part of EADS, as it was a bit of burden for the touchy feely “connecting people” brand. I remember the guy, who first programmed the Marksman game for the last Nokia NMT phone. The name had to be changed to React! and you were “shooting” vegetables.

Hmmm, if you work in the industry producing Nokian youth counsellors, you belong to Rubber and Leather Workers Union. (I think their office is in Hakaniemi)

OK, I could take my mind out of gutter, if someone gives me the ladder.

“During this weekend’s ASEM demostrations in Helsinki, the Finnish police went well beyond their rights and turned the downtown area into something resembling a modern-day police state – I’d expect this kind of illegal behavior by the po’lice in the states but not here in Finland…”

Phil,

American policmen are now enforcing a police state? Which police departments are you referring too and where– city, county, state? Or all of them? American policemen are upto illegal behaviour? Surely you will provide examples– I mean it isn’t like the ACLU, review boards, DA, etc… have any jurisdiction over law enforcement indivuals and their behavior in the performance of their duites in the US.

Sometimes your hyperbole is beyond obscene. Grow the fuck up.

Phil is expecting a lot things.

Police did the right thing in arresting a load of innocent bystanders, instead of concentrating on who actually DID riot etcetera? Yeah, riiiight…

Now listen up, all you police-state groupies out there: please take your heads out of your asses and kindly wait for the parliamentary ombudsman to reach a verdict about the matter before delving any deeper into that embarassing jackboot-licking subservience of yours. Or, failing that, how about bending over and saying “AAAAAAAH” while I shove a nightstick up your anus?

It constantly amazes me how certain idiots just don’t understand how it’s THEM who might suffer next time, should this policy of blanket arrests in the name of “security” become status quo. But hey, there’s no cure for stupidity, is there?

http://lehti.samizdat.info/2006/09/13/1754/

Sorry, in finnish.

AnonyMeaCulpa,

Please explain to me how you, an imaginary police officer would differentiate the anarchist from the innocent bystander, aside from the obvious Armani Suit vs. The Punk -distinction? Because when the day comes that I want to get all rowdy in downtown Hki, the Armani suit is exactly what I’m going to wear in order to disguise myself. The police obviously had to concentrate on EVERYBODY, and that really is the dumb teens’ fault. If the police allows one person to get out, next there’s going to be a whole bunch of anarchist sweet-talking to the officers get out of the circle.

Hank – What, do you take down names and addresses of those you photograph? If I read correctly, they were asking for personal details before releasing those detained.

You really do have to wonder though….SUPO claims it’s on top of the Finnish threat of terrorism on domestic soil but a bunch of kids with a few chains and such get the full riot brigade? It’s not really a confidence builder in the local intelligence network.

“American policemen are upto illegal behaviour?Surely you will provide examples– I mean it isn’t like the ACLU, review boards, DA, etc… have any jurisdiction over law enforcement indivuals and their behavior in the performance of their duites in the US. Sometimes your hyperbole is beyond obscene. Grow the fuck up. ” Comment by Buckeye Abroad — Thu, Sep 14th, 2006 @ 1:24 am

….. http://www3.sympatico.ca/ron666/bcnd.html

listen to this podcast! it is unbelievable what the cops are doing in the US. It’s called “Bad Cop, No Donut” and is a biweekly(?) half-hour summary of all crimes committed by police across the US. it is terrifying how the list just goes on and on.

#65: Perhaps from the fact that innocent bystanders don’t smash windows and generally follow verbal instructions by the authorities in a crisis situation?

“Perhaps from the fact that innocent bystanders don’t smash windows and generally follow verbal instructions by the authorities in a crisis situation?”

And exactly how should they do that? If the police are scattered around the general area where the anarchist are, there is no way they can do their job effectively. There really is a reason why the riot police works as large team and not as individuals. When it comes to the police chasing window-breaking criminals, the police has already failed.

And you conviniently dismissed the fact that your right winger friends in the parliament support the police fully, the left being the only party who opposed the case.

And you conveniently dismissed the fact that you still don’t have a case as you and your left wing friends have completely failed to convince me of the police’s misconduct. In fact, you haven’t given a single argument which I haven’t been able to refute with great ease.

Having had better things to do while all the shit was coming down on Mannerheimintie last Saturday, I was not there, and therefore, I cannot pretend to have an informed opinion on who was right and who was wrong. (It seems like quite a few others in my position had their minds made up very quickly on whom to blame).

Certainly, the pseudo-anarchist organisers were “asking for it”, but from what I can tell, the police response did seem to be rather heavy-handed.

While I do not subscribe to the thoughts of the extreme ends of the issue (I do see the human beings who comprise the police force as neither inherenty evil nor inherently virtuous), on the basis of what I have seen and heard in the media, the events of the night in question certainly merit at least some kind of investigation. Parliametnary Ombudsman, go for it!

Anyway, I understand that this coming Saturday, there will be a demonstration again in front of Kiasma at 17:45 called “Joku raja
Rajamäki” demo for anyone who might be interested.

A couple of stories by arrested citizen (in Finnish, sorry):

http://viima.vuodatus.net/blog/235723?showcomments=yes

http://klubitus.org/forum_aihe.php?id=51330;pid=824754#824754

I think it’s obvious that the Finnish constitution has been violated.