Vaasa politician tears down Provinssi festival posters in “equality protest”

A local Vaasa politician and deputy city councillor tore down three Provinssi festival posters from waste bins near Vaasa prison, calling the act a “good deed” for equality, Yle reports.

Lauri Karppi (Finns Party) told Yle he removed the posters because the festival’s organisers were previously convicted of discrimination after ejecting Finns Party MP Juha Mäenpää from the event in 2021. “At this time of year, equality is the theme,” Karppi said. “I thought this was an equality action—cleaning these up.”

When asked if tearing down posters was appropriate behaviour for a deputy councillor, Karppi replied, “Yes. That’s why I posted it under my own name on social media—as a good deed.” He claimed the posters lacked proper permits for their locations, including one near an electrical substation and another on a waste bin owned by waste management company Rimeo.

Provinssi festival director Ville Koivisto, contacted by Yle, said the festival distributes posters nationwide, including Vaasa. If any were placed incorrectly, he said, they would update guidelines for distributors. Koivisto had not previously heard of Karppi’s actions but noted, “Sympathy can be shown in many ways.”

Vaasa city designates official poster sites; the waste bins near the prison are not among them. The city’s Ilkivallaton porkkana (“Vandalism-Free Carrot”) project typically removes unauthorised posters and graffiti, but in this case, Karppi acted first.

Police confirmed that removing posters could constitute minor criminal damage, but as the offence requires a report from the victim, no investigation will proceed unless Provinssi files a complaint. The legality of the posters’ placement does not affect whether a crime occurred, according to Mikael Appel of Ostrobothnia Police.