Cleaning costs for defaced Finnish Parliament remain uncertain following protest

The costs of cleaning the Finnish Parliament’s façade, defaced during a protest, are still difficult to estimate. According to Pertti Rauhio, the head of Parliament’s administration, cleaning operations will continue next week. “We do not yet know the costs, but it won’t be free. Expenses rise every time we assess how to enhance the cleaning process,” he explained.

Parliament is collaborating with the National Museum of Finland and is following the agency’s recommendations. The initial cleaning was performed by Parliament’s own staff, utilizing equipment such as hydraulic lifts, while subsequent efforts will be contracted out. Rauhio emphasized that the cleaning must ensure no traces of vandalism remain.

The police in Helsinki are ongoing with their technical investigation into the defacement, reviewing video footage. According to investigation leader Jari Korkalainen, the extent of damages is still unknown, and they are awaiting a compensation claim from Parliament. The ten individuals arrested have been released, but were not forthcoming about their motives during questioning.

The climate activist group Extinction Rebellion previously stated that the protest was against peat harvesting, in partnership with a Swedish climate movement known as Återställ Våtmarker, which roughly translates to “Restore Wetlands.” The police have yet to gather further details about the paint used in the defacement, other than its water-soluble nature.

Extinction Rebellion claimed that the color sprayed on Parliament’s columns was made by mixing corn flour with water and was applied using fire extinguishers, staining the pillars several meters high.