Police said in many areas in Finland they were busy on Saturday night due to drunken and harassing behavior when residents celebrated their first May Day unrestricted after 2019.
Helsinki police answered more than 300 calls during the Vappu celebrations on Saturday night and early Sunday. In their statement, they described the night "a return to the pre-coronary virus of the last decade".
According to the Central Finnish police, May Day was also much busier than in the previous two years, as restaurants were allowed to be open late.
However, the police in Eastern Finland told the news agency STT that the party went more peacefully than on the last day of May Day. This may have been due in part to the weather. In Kuopio, for example, it was frosty at night.
3 were injured by a reckless driver near the Esplanade
Most of Helsinki’s police duties were related to public indiscipline and fighting. Domestic litigation played a smaller role.
The most serious incident occurred at about 7 p.m., when a man was driving at high speed through the city center and collided with eight cars on Pohjoisesplanadi, one of the parallel boulevards along Esplanadi Park.
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Adjacent to the area is the Havis Amanda Statue and the Market Square, traditionally the center of May Day. Authorities estimate that tens of thousands of people had gathered in the area.
Three people were injured, including the suspect.
Helsinki police suspect the 33-year-old man of serious danger to traffic safety, serious drunk driving, serious bodily injury, opposition to the official and disobedience, the police informs.
Police said the suspect endangered the safety of several bystanders while driving. However, they did not believe that he was deliberately trying to drive over people.
Police said the patrol told the driver to stop at the North Shore in Kruununhaka, but he did not.
According to Yle’s reporter, the black car was driving at high speed from Aleksanterinkatu to Unioninkatu and from there to Pohjoisesplanadi.
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The suspect’s car eventually collided with another car outside Café Esplanadi at Pohjoisesplanadi 37. The park area outside the café was completely destroyed.
All of the injured received hospital treatment, but were later released from the hospital, police said.
"Police have collected a wealth of video and eyewitness findings from the scene, which are currently being investigated. In addition, we will continue the discussion with victims and eyewitnesses," Detective inspector Kalle da Silva Gonçalves told Yle.
4 were injured in a crash in Hyvinkää
In Hyvinkää, Central Uusimaa, four people were injured in a two-car crash on the road at 3 o’clock on Sunday. According to the rescue service, all the injured were taken to hospital.
According to STT, one car had three people and the other only a driver. Both cars were in the south lane. Police are investigating the accident.
Police themselves expect the May Day to be more peaceful.
Traditional Sunday events include park picnics, choir singing, marches and political speeches. In Helsinki, an event center in Kaivopuisto and Hakaniemi Square.
Source: The Nordic Page