10,000+ gather for rally against government racism in Finland
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A statement from the movement organizing the protest expressed that Finland cannot "reconcile itself with racists or fascists" within the government.
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A photo from the anti-government protests that took place in Helsinki (Finnish Broadcasting Company)
According to the Helsinki Police Department, around 10,000 people attended the "We will not be silent" demonstration in the middle of the Finnish capital Helsinki on Sunday.
The department posted on X, that "the demonstration has so far been peaceful."
In a statement, the movement explained that the purpose of the rally is to demand that the Finnish government "respect the Finnish constitution and international agreements to which Finland is a signatory and guarantee an equal and non-discriminatory society for all."
Read more: Finland far-right leader accused of racist online posts
The statement added that Finland is "international, diverse, vibrant, open and democratic. Such a Finnish government cannot reconcile itself with either racists or fascists." Numerous politicians and activists took part in the demonstration.
Finland's right-wing coalition government has recently faced its third racism scandal as the Minister of Economic Affairs, Wille Rydman, from the far-right Finns Party, is embroiled in controversy.
A media report revealed that in 2016, Rydman used racist language in private messages with his then-girlfriend, including racial slurs and derogatory comments.
He expressed a preference for banning headscarf-wearers and made offensive remarks about traditional Hebrew names.
“We Nazis don’t really like that kind of stuff,” he said.
Last month, Riikka Purra, a former Finance Minister who led the far-right Finns Party from 2021, was accused of penning incendiary remarks in 2008, which included a number of racial, anti-Islamic, and anti-immigrant slurs, as well as threats of violence.
Vilhelm Junnila, another minister from the Finns Party, resigned in June due to statements of support for Nazis made earlier.
