Almost all the organizers of Finnish Pride who responded to STT’s survey said that they had experienced some kind of harassment. The survey asked about possible forms of harassment and violence in Finland that took part in organizing an event promoting sexual and gender rights. 22 out of 25 respondents reported such experiences.
The most commonly reported types were inappropriate and offensive speech as well as vandalism and theft of Pride tickets.
Hate speech researcher Tuija Saresma According to the University of Jyväskylä, the high figures shown by the survey could be an indication of organized anti-queer activity.
"Such a large number raises the question of whether the harassment can be organized or encouraged by someone. It’s just a scary thought," Saresma said.
Flag vandalism “an intentional and violent act”
In certain areas, vandalism of rainbow symbols and theft of Pride tickets has become the norm, he says. Anni Rannikko, Coordinator of Seta North Karelia, Finland’s largest LGBTI legal group. Last year alone, tickets were stolen in Lahti, Joensuu, Oulu and Riihimäki, among others.
The organizer of the Pride event says that Pride ticket thefts have become more common in Joensuu since flagging started about six years ago. This year, the city of Joensuu hung its rainbow flag on the flagpole of the town hall tower to try to prevent it from being stolen.
Some factors even go on to burn rainbow tickets. Examples are the cases in Helsinki in 2020, Kouvola in 2019 and Tornio in 2017.
"The flag symbolizes the rights of the rainbow community, so actions taken against the flag also affect our human rights and our right to be," The coast said.
The Oulu Police Department announced earlier this month that two Oulu men are suspected of flagging and inciting hatred. The men destroyed two rainbow flags, which they stole from Oulu Pride in August 2021. During the preliminary investigation, one of the suspects said the motive was "boredom from the excessive presence of sexual minorities."
Saresma adds that both stealing and destroying tickets is a serious act, especially given the motive for the hatred.
"If someone removed the Finnish flag from the bar and set it on fire, it would not be considered insignificant either. Burning a flag is an intentional and highly violent act of publicly shaming an object with a strong symbolic value." he said.
Other types of rainbow symbols, such as painted stars and park benches, have also been vandalized in recent years. Respondents said they often reported incidents, but crimes are rarely investigated due to a lack of evidence or the value of stolen or destroyed property was not considered significant enough by police.
Harassment and pride in violence
Non-objects are the victims of harassment and violence. The coast says harassment is almost guaranteed for both the organizers and participants of the Pride event.
"Cyberbullying, hate mail and emails. The general is shouting in the street. After the Pride procession last fall, participants were followed by a car and eggs were thrown," The coast said.
One of the biggest attacks of the Pride event took place in Helsinki in 2010, when 88 people were attacked with tear gas. Three men were sentenced to four months in prison for assault and other crimes.
Politician Dan Koivulaakso (left) was also attacked with tear gas at the Oulu Pride event in 2012. The perpetrator, who is said to have actively participated in the neo-Nazi resistance movement, was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison, Kaleva from Oulu has said.
The beach party, recently organized by Seta’s Jyväskylä branch, was the target of a bloody attack in July 2021. The attack involved a young man who kicked and beat two women who took part in the event and even Puri.
Pride events will be held in a total of 32 locations this year, which is a record number in Finland, according to Seta.
Source: The Nordic Page