April 30th - May 1st, 2006
When it was announced that there is a EuroMayDay -parade in Helsinki, we were quite skeptical. Their "more money for us" -analysis and politics is lacking environmental, animal liberation, indigenous peoples, technocritical etc viewpoints. They are even in favour of the European Federation. The language they use is the worst kind of postmodern university-jargon. On the other hand they try to seduce the masses with populist demands and try to sneak into party politics through the youth organisations of the left and the green parties in Finland. They try to disguise their centrally commanded (italo-)stalinist politics as direct democracy.
Despite all this there were hundreds of people gathered around the meeting point in the centre of Helsinki. From there the group started to move on and the atmosphere was cheered by a van with a sound system playing uplifting tunes. In the beginning it was pretty much like any other boring demonstration. Some people even had flags of the youth organisation of the left party.
Couple of blocks later things started to kick in. People tired of the city's zero tolerance policy towards graffiti started to decorate the walls, bus stops and everything paintable. Soon after windows were smashed despite semi-heavy police presence. Alltogether tens of windows were broken, including Ministry of Defense; Confederation of Finnish Industries EK; logging giant UPM-Kymmene; Halonen, a clothing store involved in fur-industry and fast food joint Carrols. A group of yuppies having their lunch in a super-elitist restaurant got their share of class hatred when the window next to which they were sitting was smashed.
Even thow there is a lot to criticise in the politics of the precarity/EuroMayDay-crew, we don't mind parades like this. Spontaneous destruction of the property of capital, state and animal abusers by a large group is something we have experienced in Finland not nearly enough.
Insurrectionary Anarchists of Southern Finland
In the aftermath of the Helsinki May Day riot, plain clothes officers snatched a person, suspected of participating in the battle between the 30th of April and 1st of May, who was visiting his granny. Charges pressed against him are as yet unknown. A 29 year old man accused with felony charges of "outrageous wreckage" was released from remand imprisonment until trial. Another 25 year old anarchist man accused with felony charges of "leading a riot" and "violent resistance" is still inside, but lawyer hopes he will be released later this week. Most of the other 17 people arrested who were released before will also stand trial during this year. Several houses have been searched during last 9 days. Support is being organised by both Finnish Anarchist Black Cross and Euromayday organisers.
Clashes between night of 30th of April and 1st of May were perhaps biggest in Helsinki since 1962 right-wing riots against the socialist "world festival of youth for peace". It was also the first time in the almost 10 years of existence of the special 'Jouha' anti-riot cops that they were forced to retreat.