Finnish police consider restoring tear gas as riots intensify elsewhere in Europe

Finnish police are considering adding tear gas back to their crowd-control options as they prepare for the possibility of more violent demonstrations, Police Inspector Marko Heikkilä told Yle. Police use the same kinds of force at demonstrations as in other situations, he said.

Riots that began in France and spread to other parts of Europe have prompted concern in Finland, where protests have not reached the same level of violence. Heikkilä said the police are monitoring social developments and are particularly concerned about violence among some football and ice hockey supporters.

Water cannons and tear gas, used by French police, are not currently part of the Finnish police’s available methods. Finnish police experts have visited Denmark to learn about water cannons, but Heikkilä said the equipment is expensive and has not been considered useful or necessary. Police in Paris also used tear gas against demonstrators on October 18.

Finnish police stopped using tear gas about 25 years ago and replaced it with pepper spray. Heikkilä said pepper spray is easier to control and can be targeted more precisely, while affecting a smaller area. However, tear gas is more effective for controlling large crowds, and police have tested different ways of dispersing it.

Police also have a device similar to the riot grenade used by French officers, which injured a demonstrator’s hand. Heikkilä described the Finnish device as a “flash bang”, which works through a loud noise and is not a hand grenade. Finnish police have used it in other operations, but not at demonstrations.

Heikkilä said the 2006 Smash Asem demonstration remains a notable example of a large and violent riot in Finland. Protesters opposed a summit of Asian and European countries in Helsinki, and police surrounded them outside the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art. Courts later dismissed charges against police, although the Parliamentary Ombudsman reprimanded them over unjustified arrests and the treatment of detainees. Sixteen demonstrators received suspended prison sentences for offences including violent rioting and violent resistance to a public official.

Police horses have also been used to control crowds. At a 2023 Independence Day demonstration in Helsinki, some people found the horses intimidating. Heikkilä said horses are trained but, like any animal, can never be entirely without risk. He also said people in Finland have sometimes hit police horses with clubs.