Police prepared for the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations in Helsinki

Extinction Rebellion has informed the police about one demonstration.

The demonstration, reported to the police, will take place on Thursday 5 June, at 4 pm at Senaatintori. The demonstration march will start at 4:30 pm and proceed from Senaatintori to Aleksanterinkatu, Mannerheimintie, Töölönlahdenkatu, and Kansalaistori. According to the notification, the demonstration will not involve civil disobedience.

"The police anticipate that Thursday's demonstration will cause moderate and short-term traffic disruptions," according to Chief Inspector Jarmo Heinonen.

According to police information, another demonstration is scheduled for Monday 9 June, which is expected to cause significant and prolonged traffic disruptions in central Helsinki. The police recommend allowing plenty of time for travel in the city centre and preparing for traffic disruptions. If necessary, the police will divert traffic to alternative routes.

The police's task is to safeguard the protesters' freedom of expression and assembly, public order and safety, and the rights of other city residents.

"The police are prepared for the possibility that Monday's demonstration may cause unreasonable disruption to traffic. In such a case, the police may have to take demonstrators into custody ," Heinonen said.

The police always negotiate with the organiser of the demonstration to ensure that the demonstration would not cause unreasonable disturbance to other citizens. If the demonstration is carried out in significant violation of the law, endangers public order and safety, or obstructs traffic, the police may interfere with the course of the event by issuing instructions and orders or, ultimately, by ending the demonstration.

The option to interrupt or end a demonstration is always assessed case-by-case. Instructions and, if necessary, orders issued by the police, as well as the means used to enforce them, are based on an overall assessment of the situation. The police always primarily try to negotiate with the organiser to resolve the situation.