Finnish far-right marchers filmed kicking anti-fascist protester in the head

Finnish public broadcaster Yle has identified participants in a May Day march after analysing previously unpublished footage showing a violent assault on a counter-protester in Tampere.

The incident occurred during the far-right White May event, where masked marchers attacked a counter-protester carrying a banner reading “Nazis, fuck off”. Police are investigating the case as assault.

Yle’s analysis of video material—filmed by its own cameraman and an Amnesty International observer—shows counter-protester Tytti Hynninen being struck, shoved, and then kicked in the head after joining the march. Hynninen told Yle she does not recall details of the attack but sought medical attention as a precaution. “I was X-rayed for possible fractures, but luckily there was no serious damage,” she said.

The assailant, whose face was covered with a scarf and sunglasses, was part of a so-called black bloc—a group of far-right marchers dressed in dark clothing with concealed identities. The far-right Active Club network had announced its participation in the march under this formation.

Yle identified several individuals in the footage, many of whom had travelled to Tampere from other parts of Finland. Among them were figures linked to far-right combat clubs and football hooligan circles.

A second counter-protester, Unna Rissanen, was also kicked during the confrontation. Rissanen told Yle the blow struck her hip but caused no lasting injury. One of the assailants, a man from the Helsinki region with a history of violent crime, was seen encouraging marchers to perform Nazi salutes and appeared prominently in footage of both Active Club and another far-right group, Club 8.

Police continue to investigate the identities of those involved. “We are still working to confirm the suspects,” lead investigator Ona Autere told Yle.