Ministry of the Interior: Extremist nationalist group Finland First dozens of violent crimes suspected | News
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the extremist national organization Finland First is suspected of up to 30 crimes last year at a month-long session at Helsinki Central Station.
The suspected crimes of the Finland First protesters include varying degrees of assault. The information comes from a report on violent extremism in Finland published by the Ministry of the Interior on Monday.
The Ministry uses the term violent extremism to refer to the use of violence, intimidation or incitement to support a particular worldview.
Last February, Finland’s first anti-immigration activists gathered in the center of Helsinki to hold a protest against a group of asylum seekers protesting against asylum policy in Finland. Both groups of protesters initially settled in the square in front of the Kiasma Museum, but were transferred to the train station by police. Police cleared both camps later in late June.
According to the report, the Suomi First group was responsible for a number of general disruptions during the months they were using the facilities at the railway station.
Most of the suspected violence is perpetrated by far-right people
According to a report by the ministry, police recorded a total of about 100 crimes last year, the authorities believed to be the result of violent extremism. More than half of the reported crimes related to the far right. Authorities considered a third to be related to religious extremism and the rest to far-left radical movements.
The review found that the number of offenses reported by the police may be inaccurate, as some cases could have been recorded as a single offense or as separate offenses.
Currently, the most significant far-right group in Finland is the Nordic Resistance, whose Pirkanmaa District Court expired in November 2017. However, the verdict is not yet enforceable as the organization has appealed the decision to a higher court, whose sittings are expected to begin in August.
In its decision, the Pirkanmaa court relied on a compelling social demand to ban the organization and stated that the ban was in the public interest. According to the law, PVL targets many parties who use hate speech, becomes a victim, and claims violence is a legitimate form of self-defense.
The court also noted that PVL emphasizes the use of force and aggression to achieve its goals and embraces and encourages violence. The police government took the initiative to ban the organization.