Finnish student group condemned for using Nazi symbols

The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) has strongly condemned a student group at LUT University in Lappeenranta for using antisemitic symbols resembling those of Nazi Germany’s SS units, Finnish broadcaster Yle reports.

The group, which operates on the university campus, has worn jackets featuring a logo closely resembling the SS insignia and has reportedly used Nazi salutes. While not an official student organisation, the group has a leadership structure and has faced repeated complaints from students.

On Thursday, the group announced it would abandon the controversial symbols. According to Arttu Kaukonen, executive director of LUT’s student union, the group was previously known for student humour in the early 2010s, but antisemitic behaviour became part of its activities after the coronavirus pandemic.

SYL Secretary General Roope Tukia called the actions “completely unacceptable,” stating that there is no place for such behaviour in student activities. “Humor is humor, and racism is racism. A university-educated person should be able to tell the difference,” Tukia said.

SYL has no reports of similar incidents at other Finnish universities, though Tukia noted that students are more likely to report such issues to their local student unions rather than the national organisation. Responses from student unions at the universities of Oulu, Tampere, and Aalto confirmed no comparable cases had been observed.

This is not the first controversy involving racist behaviour at Finnish universities. In March 2023, Nazi salutes and racist language were reported at a national computer science student event at LUT. In 2019, the Student Union of the University of Helsinki expelled a far-right student organisation for a statement describing the “whiteness” of European academic communities as “natural and healthy.” In 2018, academic dining events (sitze) at the University of Jyväskylä faced backlash after a student attended in blackface and racist songs were sung.

Finnish student unions have increasingly addressed racist traditions in recent years, including revising old drinking songs to remove offensive content and tightening policies against discriminatory behaviour.