The demonstrations highlight the frustration of Finns with the ongoing COVID restrictions
It was already dark, according to the forecast, a snowstorm, when a few dozen delivery cars, a motorhome and a passenger car rolled loudly in the center of Helsinki on Friday night.
The culmination of the “Convoy Finland” protest concept, imported from Canada, aimed at closing the Finnish capital by clogging trucks and attracting tens of thousands of people to its social media channels in recent days.
According to police, there were 700 people waiting for the convoy on the main street of the capital in front of the parliament: many crowded the streets, blocking traffic, waving Finnish flags or holding signs with a “freedom” or anti-vaccination symbol.
The organizers of the convoy – far-right and vaccine opponents, coronary virus deniers and ethnicists – are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Sanna Marini’s government, a 50 per cent cut in fuel prices and an end to all COVID restrictions.
But after the increase in support for the convoy’s network, the clashes between the factions, the disputes between several key organizers, the disagreements over the objectives and even the call to attack Parliament, their support disappeared.
“It’s gold in comedy. Like a journey for the clinically confused,” said a Finn who had followed events on social media.
Still, police were cautious after 11 hours of talks with convoy organizers, warned local residents of a possible six-day disruption near the parliament building, and banned drone activity in the city center as they staged a demonstration with police cavalry and the Navy. police cars.
“The value is more in the entertainment, people want to watch some kind of reality TV that opens before their eyes,” says Niko Pyrhönen, a researcher at the University of Helsinki who followed the development of the convoy on his Telegram channel.
“Within the groups, they have been very fragmented and have had many disagreements,” he told Euronews.
The far right and the anti-vaxx movement are converging
In general, most Finns complied with government restrictions in the first year of the pandemic, as a state of emergency was only declared for the first time since World War II; schools were closed; bars, restaurants and nightclubs were closed; social distance rules were introduced and people were encouraged to work from home whenever possible.
This is largely due to the natural tendency of Finns to trust the government and policy experts.
But as the pandemic lasted and the rules were relaxed and tightened according to the number of infections, there has been growing vocation, not only against ongoing restrictions, but has highlighted the lack of financial support for many workers.
Opponents of vaccination, deniers of the coronavirus and the right of Finnish politicians have also begun to agree with the tactics they have seen abroad.
“The main thing, I think, is how supranational the far right is. Through social media, it appears that these demonstrations are immediately repeated around the world, explains Academy Researcher Oula Silvennoinen, who studies historical and modern far-right and fascist movements.
“The Finnish far right is taking immediate reference to what is happening in the United States and North America, and they have key points here and they are doing something similar in a way.”
Silvennoinen said that far-right people have been actively socializing with vaxx opponents to integrate them into their own movement or gain a foothold in their own.
“And you see it among these convoys, there are these Odin soldiers and other neo-Nazis and the Blue-Black League [a fascist organisation] has openly expressed its support, “he added.
Other demonstrations highlight frustration as restrictions continue
Although convoy protesters represent a radical right-wing side, other demonstrations in Finland this week show growing frustration that the government is slow to allow society to reopen.
Although the Finnish government is generally considered to have managed the coronavirus crisis well in general, Finland is one of the last EU countries to have completely eased restrictions: the government announced this week that the bar and restaurant industry will not return to normal. owners until early March.
It did not go far enough for the hundreds of arts and culture workers who gathered in the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday to demand an immediate end to measures affecting their industries.
On Friday, dozens of bars and restaurants across the country defy statutory opening hours restrictions and welcome guests for a late night drink and meal.
“It’s symbolic. And I think it’s important. We had 600 members in our Telegram group, and everyone said we had to do something,” said Petter Larsen, a bar and restaurant owner in the South Coast town who faced the “Open to the public” campaign.
Larsen, 35, told Euronews that they are not only protesting against the current restrictions, but also against a law that makes it easier for the government to close its hospitality business.
“As long as they [the government] they can only do what they want, they make their decisions based on fear and emotion instead of statistics and information, ”he argued.
Larsen said his decision to stay open and serve customers beyond what is currently allowed has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, Larsen said. However, he may be threatened with the suspension of his alcohol license, and local authorities have already warned that at least one complaint has been filed against him before the rules were violated.
Researcher Oulu Silvennoinen said he could understand that people in the sectors most affected by COVID restrictions are “at the end of their plowing”.
“Similar shades have been adopted among them,‘ we’ve had enough ’or‘ the government is messing up everything ’, which is understandable,” he added.
“It’s radicalization going on. If the restrictions continue, I have no doubt that at least some of these people will be among the next anti-vaxxer or convoy.”