Tampere collective raises concerns over police actions during Palestine demonstrations in Finland

A collective in Tampere, known as Tampere with Palestine, has raised concerns about police actions during their demonstrations advocating for Palestinians. Over the past year, the group has organized multiple protests, including one last Saturday demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, which attracted hundreds of participants. Despite having informed the police about the event, there was no police presence observed, according to the collective.

The Tampere with Palestine collective expressed that police are aware of potential threats during protests, which often include aggressive remarks or threats of violence. The need for police oversight during demonstrations is assessed based on several factors like expected attendance, the protest agenda, and any anticipated confrontation, stated Ismo Nykopp, a senior officer at the Central Finland Police Department. Resource availability also plays a crucial role in determining police presence.

Unlike previous demonstrations supporting Palestine, a pro-Israel demonstration on October 7 saw police actively present, partly due to bomb threats received in other Nordic countries against Israeli embassies. Nykopp emphasized that police response is based purely on risk assessments and not on the political stance of the protests.

While weekly Palestine demonstrations have reportedly proceeded without disruption, organizers claim that an incident occurred during the last protest where a driver allegedly tried to run over demonstrators, though no injuries were reported and this was not communicated to the police.

The collective accuses the police of failing to uphold the right to assemble, while Nykopp asserts that the police have acted within legal bounds in their assessments and regularly engage with the city and public transport regarding the organization of demonstrations.