[Onthebarricades] FINLAND: Trials start over ASEM summit protest, + earlier stories

Thu May 24 16:24:44 PDT 2007

http://www.hs.fi/english/article/86+face+trial+over+Smash+ASEM+riot+/1135227475422

86 face trial over Smash ASEM riot 

            print this 

The court proceedings regarding last autumn's Smash ASEM riot promise to be exceptionally massive, given the fact that no fewer than 86 people will be prosecuted. The majority of those facing charges deny having committed any crime.

The trial in the Helsinki District Court looks likely to commence in the autumn.
      Presently, the Court is hunting for a suitable location for the unusually large trial. "Certainly, the Helsinki Court House has spaces large enough to accommodate all of the accused. However, these spaces are not actual courtrooms", district prosecutor Harri Ilander explains.
      Ilander estimates that the court proceedings will last for several weeks.
      "The length of the process depends, for example, on how many of the accused will be subpoenaed to be present in court."
      At least 78 of them are likely to be asked to attend the trial, as they have denied the allegations brought against them.
      "Eight of the accused can be interpreted of having confessed, so their presence in court is not necessarily required", Ilander elaborates.

Those accused are primarily young people, although only four of them were under the age of 18 during the time of the demonstration. Among the accused are also MP and Helsinki councilman Paavo Arhinmäki (Left Alliance) and a photographer from the Suomen Kuvalehti weekly.
      The photographer was present at the demonstration in the capacity of doing his job.
      For 24 of the accused, prosecutor Ilander is calling for the minimum of a four-month suspended sentence for violent rioting and violent resisting of a public official. The rest of those facing charges, such as Arhinmäki and the Suomen Kuvalehti photographer, Ilander would impose fines against.
      Further charges will be presented for inconveniencing a public servant, illegal disguise, and resisting a police officer. One demonstrator, who had a pepper spray in his possession, will be charged for a firearm offence.
      Also the police suspected 86 individuals of having committed crimes in connection with the Smash ASEM riot. In each case the threshold was reached to bring charges against the individual. The incident in September of last year has prompted counter-accusations of excessive use of force and criminal acts by the police who went in to break up the demonstration. 

http://www.hs.fi/english/ASEM/article/Complaints+filed+on+police+action+during+Smash+Asem+protest/1135221581972

Complaints filed on police action during Smash Asem protest 
Chancellor of Justice and Parliamentary Ombudsman to investigate charges

            print this 

Actions taken by police during clashes with demonstrators taking part in the Smash Asem protest in the centre of Helsinki on Saturday are to be assessed by other officials. 
      At a press conference on Tuesday, Minister of the Interior Kari Rajamäki and National Police Commissioner Markku Salminen defended the actions of the police. 
      Data Protection Ombudsman Reijo Aarnioas well as either Deputy Parliamentary Ombudsman Jukka Lindstedt or Deputy Chancellor of State Jaakko Jonkka will investigate complaints submitted on Monday concerning police procedures during the anarchists' demonstration. 
      One of those detained, a photographer for the weekly news magazine Suomen Kuvalehti, was held in custody for 18 hours. 

The complaints concerned allegations that people were arbitrarily detained, encircled and prevented from leaving, photographed, and their personal information recorded at and nearby the Kiasma art museum and its vicinity. 
      Police surrounded hundreds of people, limited the free movement of even more, and detained 136. 
      Lindstedt said that at the very least, the police will be asked to provide a report on matters raised in the complaints. "It is also possible that we will make a broader study on the action of the police", he added. 
      The offices of the Parliamentary Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice will agree amongst themselves, if either, or both bodies will investigate the matter. 

Data Protection Ombudsman Reijo Aarnio will ask the police to clarify what information the police collected on the people at the location of the melee, if the information has been recorded in some register, and how the information is to be destroyed. 
      "I understand that passers-by and others who were not involved, were blockaded. The police took down information and photographed them. This has raised concern among people, some of whom are afraid that the information will come up during job interviews, for instance. Our purpose is to see if everything went according to law", Aarnio says. 
      Jouko Salo, chief inspector of police in Helsinki, says that data concerning those suspected of crimes will be included in the preliminary investigation material, as is normally the case. The information on others is to be destroyed, once the investigation is completed. 
      "The information will not end up in any registers", Salo promises. 

At Tuesday's press conference, Interior Minister Rajamäki praised the actions of the police as successful. 
      "The police decided to prepare for Smash Asem with sufficient manpower and equipment, so that as little force as possible would be needed." He also noted that objects were found in the possession of the demonstrators that had nothing to do with the protest. "It is nevertheless good that the actions of the police are evaluated and that a critical view is taken." 
      National Police Commissioner Markku Salminen was also satisfied. He said that after rioting on the night before the First of May holiday, the police decided to make better preparations to prevent an unruly event from spreading. 

http://www.hs.fi/english/ASEM/article/bSUNDAY+109b+Anarchist+demonstration+corralled+by+huge+police+presence+over+100+held+overnight/1135221540413

ASEM
SUNDAY 10.9. Anarchist demonstration corralled by huge police presence; over 100 held overnight
Downtown Helsinki cordoned off for several hours on Saturday evening

            print this 

A huge police presence, almost unprecedented by Finnish standards, boxed in and stifled the planned anarchist "Smash Asem" demonstration and march on Saturday evening and restricted the movement of other people in the downtown area of Helsinki.
      Several dozen demonstrators were arrested on suspicion of malicious damage, rioting, and incitement to cause a riot. No serious injuries were reported, and the siege outside the Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum was lifted at around 11 p.m, although for some time after this there was still a heavy police presence.

The "Smash Asem" demonstration began peacefully at around 6 p.m., but was unable to move on from the gathering point in the square in front of Kiasma by the arrival of around 200 riot police equipped with shields, helmets, and truncheons.
      Not merely the 300 or so demonstrators were hemmed in, but also passers-by on their way home, journalists and cameramen, and people who had turned up out of curiosity to see what was happening, and whether the demonstrators would make good on their website pledge to "bring at least a bit of disorder to the streets of Helsinki".
      There were a further several hundred police officers behind the inner ring, as well as five Helsinki City Transport buses arranged as a wall.

Some of the protesters hurled themselves against the police cordon in an attempt to break through, and bottles and benches were thrown. The police reported that some of the demonstrators were armed with metal bars.
      The police justified the three-hour standoff situation by saying that the planned march would have presented a danger to local residents, with a risk of damage to property and the potential to disrupt the Ecofin gathering of EU ministers of finance, which was going on at the Pasila Fair Centre at the time. Initially the march was to have headed for Pasila.

Eventually the authorities announced they were interrupting the protest after violent incidents and a refusal from the organisers to negotiate.
      A senior officer said that they had made repeated vain attempts to contact the leader of the demonstrators and get details of the route for the march.

People were allowed out of the enclosed area gradually in small numbers after around an hour. Those coming out were photographed and their bags and rucksacks were inspected.
      Further scuffles with police took place close to the Lasipalatsi building and the Forum shopping mall.
      When police in the early stages urged the demonstrators to disperse there was immediate movement, and bottles and eggs were thrown. Apparently a firework rocket was also set off from outside the cordoned-off area.
      Those arrested, numbering in the several dozens, were taken to Töölö and Pasila police stations. Some demonstrators were carried or dragged away.

Early on Sunday morning the area was empty, except for people clearing up the litter and debris. Little material damage was caused, and police reported no serious injuries on either side.
      The demonstrators were clearly shocked by the size of the police response, which was in stark contrast to the situation a few weeks ago during the Helsinki Festival Night of the Arts, when a couple of hundred youths and graffiti enthusiasts had surprised police completely.
      This time the police remained composed and did not respond to provocation from the demonstrators, though there will be many who argue that the massive response was of itself a provocative act.
      At a press conference on Sunday morning, police officials reported that slightly more than 100 people had been held overnight for questioning. Most are Finnish, with one or two foreigners among their number. 

http://www.hs.fi/english/ASEM/article/bSATURDAY+99b+Falun+Gong+most+active+protester+during+ASEM/1135221521108

SATURDAY 9.9. Falun Gong most active protester during ASEM

            print this 

Two women dressed as surgeons dig a red bundle out of the abdomen of a mannequin on an operating table. Next to them a man in a police uniform threatens to beat a handcuffed woman.
      The organ theft and torture performance of the Falun Gong spiritual movement in front of Helsinki's main railway station may have been the most violent sight during Friday's demonstrations linked with the summit of the Europe Asia Meeting (ASEM), which officially begins on Sunday. Friday's demonstrations involved fewer than 100 people, and no disturbances were reported.

On Friday, police had been informed of plans for about 20 demonstrations to be held by Monday evening. About ten of them are being organised by Falun Gong, which will make its presence known on the streets in the coming days. The small but energetic group is holding protests, giving performances, and distributing information.
      According to Hannu Järvinen, the chairman of the Finnish Falun Gong association, dozens of members of the movement have travelled to Finland from abroad to take part in the events attacking China.
      "I came here to support these events. It is important for people to know about the human rights violations committed by China. The Swiss media does not report on them, because China is economically so important to my country", said Aleardo Manieri from Switzerland.

The Finnish Falun Gong association said that it planned to file a criminal complaint of genocide against China's Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai. The association says that he was responsible for torture and murder while serving as Governor of Liaoning Province. 
      Genocide is considered an international crime, and can be prosecuted outside the country where the acts were committed, even if the perpetrator is protected by diplomatic immunity.
      Falun Gong made a similar criminal complaint in 2003 against Luo Gan, a member of the Permanent Committee of the Politbureau of the Chinese Communist Party. At that time, Finnish police began an investigation, but called it off after hearing from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
      The Foreign Ministry felt that Luo Gan's position was similar to that of a visiting head of state, which means that he could not be prosecuted. The chair of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, Tuija Brax (Green), has criticised the view of the ministry.

Further demonstrations will be held on Saturday in the Kaisaniemi Park, in front of the Chinese Embassy, around the Pasila site of the actual ASEM meeting in the Helsinki Fair Centre, and at the square in front of the Kamppi Center shopping mall. 
      There is also an anarchist and anti-globalisation protest - "Smash Asem" - planned in the city centre. A heavy police presence is anticipated to ward off possible troublemakers. 

http://www.hs.fi/english/ASEM/article/Police+fill+streets+of+Helsinki+-+ASEM+demonstrations+start+today/1135221497601

Police fill streets of Helsinki - ASEM demonstrations start today 

            print this 

It was hard to move in the centre of Helsinki on Thursday without seeing large numbers of police officers brought in to secure the upcoming summit of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM).
      Some were directing traffic, and others were securing hotels where the high-level guests are being accommodated.
      Police were also preparing to keep order during15 demonstrations by various groups planned in the coming days.

Helsinki deputy police chief Jari Liukku says that the ASEM arrangements will be visible on the streets of the Finnish capital mainly in the large number of police - a few thousand of them - on foot.
      The arrangements will affect traffic in the centre of Helsinki.

After three in the afternoon on Thursday, the street running in front of the President's Palace was closed to traffic, and onlookers were kept at a distance from the palace itself. 
      Palace caretaker Allan Kahres rolled red carpets onto the cobblestones of the palace courtyard and pavement in front of it, shortly before Roh Moo-hyun, President of the Republic of Korea, arrived at the palace.
      Hundreds of people watched at a safe distance, as official welcoming ceremonies took place. Most of the onlookers were there by chance.

The first in a series of demonstrations linked with the ASEM summit began at 9:00 Friday morning with a small rally in front of the Chinese Embassy on the island of Kulosaari organised by the Falun Gong spiritual movement, which has been banned in China.
      About 20 representatives of Falun Gong were on hand, as well as "a van full of police", said representatives of the demonstration.
      The English-language banners demanded an immediate end to the repression of Falun Gong in China. A Finnish-language sign complained of "state terror" in China.

Police in Helsinki had been officially informed of plans for 15 different demonstrations linked with ASEM events between Friday and Monday. Many of them were for small events organised Falun Gong, criticising the state of human rights in China.
      At least two demos are planned concerning Myanmar, and issues concerning Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Cambodia are also topics of some of the demonstrations.
      Saturday is set to be a busy protest day. It is then that the Helsinki 2006 NGO network will hold a demonstration, which the organisers expect will attract 2,000 - 3,000 people calling for a fairer Europe.
      Planners of the Helsinki 2006 event promise that their protest will be completely non-violent. Police are more concerned with the Smash ASEM demonstration organised by Finnish anarchists. Organisers state as one of their goals to bring chaos to the streets. Jari Liukku says that disturbances are likely.
      Police estimate that Smash ASEM might attract several hundred people onto the streets, although Liukku says that the crowd could dwindle to a few dozen.
      "We hope that bystanders would not go into the middle of the action, or that if they do, they should understand that they are at risk of becoming involved in activities that bear the characteristics of a crime.
      A representative of Smash ASEM told Helsingin Sanomat that he expects between 100 and 1,000 people to take part. He also said that "some" people are coming to the event from abroad. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: printtaa.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 85 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: t.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 43 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0001.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221558110.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 7648 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221527931.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 6490 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0001.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221528112.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 5436 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0002.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221528827.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 6452 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0003.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221528959.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 7403 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0004.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221530473.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 6359 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0005.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221532909.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 8101 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0006.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221518753.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 8141 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0007.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221512950.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 5153 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0008.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 1135221490648.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 7418 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/onthebarricades/attachments/20070525/3122a997/attachment-0009.jpeg>