Environmental activists vandalize pillars of Finnish Parliament House in Helsinki

Last Friday, environmental activists vandalized the pillars of the Finnish Parliament House, sparking widespread outrage among both lawmakers and the public. The act was even perceived as an attack on democracy. Following the incident, questions arose about what the environmental movements would do next to draw attention to their cause.

Researchers and authorities are observing a shift in the tactics used by climate activists in Finland and Europe. According to Henna-Elise Ventovirta, a researcher at the University of Tampere, protest methods have evolved since the 2010s, with a notable absence of violence. Activist groups increasingly organize strikes, including school and hunger strikes, and employ disruptive tactics like occupying sites of environmentally destructive infrastructure.

Recently, ventovirta has been studying European climate action camps, civil disobedience, and corporeal protests in the context of the climate crisis. In Germany, similar acts of vandalism have become more common, targeting artworks and iconic monuments. For example, a year ago, climate activists defaced the historic Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in a manner akin to the recent vandalism in Finland.

Ventovirta emphasizes that most environmental and climate movements advocating civil disobedience and direct action firmly uphold principles of peace and non-violence. Activists are expressing frustration over governmental action on climate and environmental policies. This frustration has led to extreme measures in rare cases, such as the recent incident where activists set fire to a power pole leading to a Tesla factory, disrupting production for several days.

Notably, both Extinction Rebellion and Greenpeace reaffirm their commitment to non-violence. The Finnish Security Intelligence Service has assessed that environmental movements do not pose a significant threat to national security, but rather reflect a societal movement and activism that may cause disruptions locally.