Finnish police propose removing one word from law to strengthen mask ban at protests

Finnish police do not support an outright ban on wearing masks during demonstrations but have proposed a legal amendment to make enforcement easier, national broadcaster Yle reports.

Konsta Arvelin, a police inspector with the National Police Board, stated that current legislation already provides sufficient tools to intervene in cases of masked protesting. However, he suggested removing the word “ilmeinen” (“obvious” or “clear”) from the Criminal Code to lower the threshold for prosecution. The law currently prohibits masking in public only when there is an obvious intent to commit violence or property damage.

Arvelin noted that the law, enacted in 2004, has been rarely applied—only 38 offences in the past 20 years—indicating that the current legal threshold is too high. “The law could gain significantly more effectiveness if we remove the word obvious,” he told Yle’s A-studio programme.

The debate follows an incident during Tampere’s Valkoinen Vappu (White May Day) event, where masked counter-protesters from the far-right Sinimusta Liike (Blue-Black Movement) assaulted a young woman. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (National Coalition Party) subsequently called for a total ban on masked protesting, but Arvelin disagreed, arguing that such a ban would not have prevented the attack.

“Masking bans don’t necessarily deter highly motivated offenders,” Arvelin said, citing the example of the now-banned Pohjoismainen Vastarintaliike (Nordic Resistance Movement), whose activities continued despite prohibition. He also acknowledged that masking may sometimes be justified to protect protesters’ identities in high-risk situations.

Police emphasised the challenge of predicting impulsive violence at demonstrations while upholding constitutional rights to free assembly and expression. “Finnish society prioritises fundamental rights over excessive state restrictions,” Arvelin stated.