Finnish Russia-expert Arto Luukkanen sees a planned protest in Helsinki by the Russian Nashi movement as an attempt by a marginal group to get publicity.
“They are trying to cook a porride that nobody wants to eat, and for which there is no real reason”, Luukkanen says.
The purpose of the demonstration by the group, which has also been called the “Putin Youth”, is to oppose the publication of a new book by Sofi Oksanen and Imbi Paju and an Estonia seminar to be held in connection with it.
The book is about the Soviet occupation of Estonia, and supporters of Nashi see the book and the seminar as being anti-Russian.
Members of Nashi were active in anti-Estonian protests in connection with the controversy over the relocation of a Soviet war memorial in Tallinn in 2007.
Estonia has denied visas to some Nashi members, effectively preventing them from travelling to the Schengen zone.
On Wednesday, Nashi said that it would hold a press conference on Monday at the Finlandia Hall.
The announcement was made by the pro-communist Kominform website.
In a video released on YouTube, a spokesman for the group says that Nashi got the invitation from Finland to hold its protest.
Luukkanen feels that the target of the demonstration is Estonia and not Finland, and that possible police action against the demonstrators could result in photographs or video footage that Nashi could use to raise the indignation among supporters.
