Finnish far-right groups order stickers from abroad as printers refuse

Far-right stickers appearing in Finnish cities are likely ordered from abroad or made at home, as domestic print shops refuse to produce the material, Yle reports.

Stickers linked to the far-right Sinimusta liike, or Blue-and-Black Movement, have appeared in public spaces in several cities in recent months. Political and activist stickers have become more common in urban spaces in recent years, Yle has previously reported.

Several Finnish printing companies told Yle they would not print material for extremist movements. “We have refused to print swastikas,” said Sami Pulkkinen, an account manager at Punamusta Color, one of Finland’s largest printing companies. Jarkko Kallio, chief executive of Pirkanmaan laatuetiketti, said his company would not produce such stickers either.

Industry rules allow printers to withdraw an offer if submitted material is in poor taste, conflicts with company values or could damage the company’s reputation. However, the Graphic Industry Association’s Annukka Ahopalo said the sector has no separate ethical policy specifying what content printers should reject.

Ahopalo said she did not know whether neo-Nazi stickers were being produced in Finland. Minna Pettersson, head of Fespa Finland, said she believed they were likely bought from foreign online shops, though domestic production was also possible. Stickers could also be printed at home using widely available equipment and materials.

Research supports both possibilities. A German study found that international commercial networks distribute far-right propaganda, including stickers sold across national borders. A Swedish researcher has noted that common printing technology and downloadable sticker designs make home production possible without a professional printer.

Teemu Väisänen, a researcher at the University of Eastern Finland who studies stickers in public spaces, said they were easy to obtain and order. He noted the irony of nationalist groups opposed to globalism ordering propaganda stickers from abroad.

A Finnish far-right online shop sells, among other items, swastika stickers and stickers featuring Adolf Hitler. Its chief executive, Ville Nurmela, told Yle that the shop designs the stickers itself and orders them from a foreign supplier. Since it began online sales in May, it has sold 4,036 bundles, or 40,360 stickers, alongside other products. The Sinimusta liike’s online shop did not answer Yle’s questions about where its stickers were made.