Helsinki is holding the Asia-Europe meeting (ASEM). A group of anarchist activists summoned up a demonstration against the exploitation that is going on in asian countries, pointing the fact that no discussion about human rights is being held, and questioning their authoritarian governments. This organization, with no political affiliation declared, summoned up the demonstration from a website called "Smash ASEM" and promised some rioting in Helsinki center for the afternoon of 9th September, in solidarity with riots being held in China.
There was only about 250-300 people gathered for the demonstration, still, the police aparatus was quite surprising, I mean, for a country where nothing ever happens: 200 anti-riot policeman on the spot, 5 buses ready (in case they decide everybody will go to jail?) and a couple hundred more policeman in neighbouring streets. There was literally more police than demonstrators!
The policeman made a human cord trapping the demonstrators between two buildings even before they went anywhere, holding the siege for 3 hours. At least for the time that I was watching the thing nothing really happened - a couple of bottles flying through the air, some bumping against the police, but nobody really got hurt. Even so, they said police took for questioning around 100 people.
Man, I have seen more fighting and damage being made on a normal saturday drinking night here, and nobody even cares to call the police then...
ps - the photo is from the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat
