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Finnish Flag Burned at Independence Celebration |
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By news
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Monday, 07 December 2009 |
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Apart from the concerns about
spreading swine flu, the Finnish president’s Independence Day party was
relatively peaceful, but there was trouble brewing outside the palace walls.
 Finnish environmentalists marched
through Helsinki city centre brandishing a banner which proclaimed that ‘Finnish
Forestry Kills . . . Indonesia, Malaysia, Paraguay, Brazil.’ It was printed in
English for the benefit of the international media.
Protestors also doused the Finnish flag
in something flammable and set fire to it before promptly putting the fire out
in the Havis Amanda fountain.
Riot police were on hand to steward the
march and deal with any disorder. Many of the protestors covered their faces
with scarves and even gasmasks something which is illegal at a protest,
according to police officials. However, the officers did not intervene.
Around a hundred people marched through
the city centre towards the Presidential Palace but riot police closed the road
to stop them getting to it.
The environmental protestors also threw
a small Christmas tree at the riot police.
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