The protest is reported to continue for several days at the Citizens’ Market, but police are also ready to intervene to disrupt traffic elsewhere.
Helsinki On Thursday, the police received a notice of a protest against Convoy Finland 2022 against interest rate restrictions and measures.
According to the announcement, the protest will begin at the Citizens’ Market on Friday at 6 pm and continue for several days. The police are urging protesters to stay in the market.
“In addition, it is known that non-citizen activities are still being planned to block traffic in the center of Helsinki,” Jarmo Heinonen He tells HS about the Helsinki police.
In its statement, the police call for preparedness for significant and perhaps also long-lasting traffic problems throughout the city center. The police are trying to resolve the situation primarily through negotiations.
The demonstration seeks to repeal interest rate measures and restrictions and calls for a significant reduction in fuel taxation and Sanna Marinin (sd) the resignation of the government. Participants in the event have been instructed on social media to block the driveways with vehicles in the downtown area, especially on Mannerheimintie and in the vicinity of the Parliament House.
“From the police’s point of view, this is not ok. Such activities do not enjoy the protection of the rally law, but are illegal. Each protester is then personally responsible for what they do,” Heinonen says.
Police may, for example, fine or resort to arrests if traffic obstruction, traffic disruption or stalking of the police occurs. There may be other types of sanctions.
“Some of the sanctions can be those that end up in court,” he says, adding that the ambulance would be blocked and that someone would die, in which case it could even be a death sentence.
Demonstration plans behind it is a group called Convoy Finland 2022, which opposes interest rate restrictions and is assembled on social media. About 1,800 people have reported participating in the protest on Facebook. The event has also received support on the Telegram messaging service channel.
Individual members of the group have also expressed a desire on social media for radical activities such as breaking into the Parliament House and burning cars. Police do not consider this likely.
“As I understand it, this type of activity is neither the will nor the likelihood of the organizers from a police point of view, but we are talking about online trolls trying to escalate the debate. However, we are also preparing for unlikely scenarios.”
The Assembly Act obliges the demonstration to be held peacefully and without endangering the safety of participants or bystanders and without violating their rights. Demonstration must also not cause significant harm to the environment.
The police also point out that there is a restricted area for heavy traffic in the Helsinki city center. Vehicles longer than 12 meters require a special permit to drive in the restricted area of the city center.
“The center of Helsinki is an area that is not normally allowed to be reached by a vehicle longer than 12 meters,” says Heinonen.
Helsinki Sanomat said yesterday that based on discussions on Facebook and the Telegram messaging service, a disagreement has arisen within the store over operating methods and the lines have been torn apart. Within the group, the timing of the protest has also been wondered, as restrictions are being lifted at a rapid pace in Finland.
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