Protesters vandalize Finnish Parliament in demonstration against peat extraction

This morning, protesters sprayed red color on the pillars of the Finnish Parliament building as part of an event organized by the environmental movement Elokapina and the Swedish climate group Återställ Våtmarker, which translates to “Restore Wetlands.” According to Sari Turunen, the property manager at Parliament, water-soluble dyes leave permanent marks on porous granite surfaces.

The red color used, which was mixed with corn flour, was part of a demonstration against peat extraction. The initial cleanup of the pillars began later in the day after police documented the damage. Turunen noted that retrieving the necessary lifting equipment also delayed the cleaning process.

Currently, there is no information available regarding the specific dye used. As the Parliament building is of significant cultural and historical importance, discussions about further cleaning procedures are being held with museum authorities before any actions are taken. Thus, the timing for the final cleaning is still uncertain.

While the total costs for cleaning have yet to be determined, Turunen indicated they are expected to be significant. The preliminary cleaning was completed shortly before 2 PM on Wednesday.