Various protests planned in Helsinki for Trump-Putin summit
Helsinki Police said it has been informed of four demonstrations planned for 16 July, when US president Donald Trump is set to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
Chief inspector Juha Hakola says the youth wing of the conservative National Coalition Party (NCP) and a group of Russians living in Finland have given notice of their plans to protest. Hakola said he did not yet know the identities of the two other groups of demonstrators, and that he expects the number of protests to increase.
In order for groups to organise public demonstrations, police must be informed at least six hours in advance. However, Hakola says people planning protests should contact the police well in advance.
“The summit involves a lot of security, so notifying the police early will give them a chance to discuss the details with the protest organisers,” he adds.
Protesters put the spotlight on tough topics
The chair of the NCP’s youth organisation, Henrik Vuornos, said he does not oppose the Trump-Putin meeting as such.
”However it is the job of the civil society to talk about matters which the heads of state cannot necessarily discuss diplomatically,” he says.
These topics include the Russian annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Trump’s import tariffs on European goods, Vuornos said. So far, around 20 people are expected to participate in the NCP youth protest.
The summit is to take place in the Helsinki area but the exact location has not yet been announced.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Canada extends air defence monitoring zone to entire Canadian Arctic, Radio Canada International
Finland: What makes Finland a meeting point for superpowers?, Yle News
Norway: Adding U.S. Marines in Norway creates instability, says Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Russia postpones minister-level business talks with Norway, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden reluctantly greenlights construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, Radio Sweden
United States: American fighter jets intercept Russian bombers outside Alaska, Alaska Public Media
