Finnish reaction to Politkovskaya killing exceptionally strong

Helsinki demo may have been world’s largest

print this

The murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya has sparked unusually strong reactions in Finland.
      On Monday it looked as if the largest demonstration in the world over the killing may have taken place in Helsinki on Sunday. Police say that the candlelight demonstration at the Russian Embassy in Helsinki was attended by more than 1,000 people. Helsingin Sanomat journalists on the scene calculated that well over 2,000 people were there.
      Reports from Moscow on the turnout for a demonstration held on Sunday over the killing varied between considerably. The English-langauge Moscow Times newspaper wrote that the protest was attended by "more than 500", while Radio Svoboda put the number as high as 2,000. The demonstration was initially called to protest the persecution of Georgians. Smaller protests were held in other parts of Russia as well.
     
The killing was big news around the Nordic region, but Finland was the only one of the Nordic Countries where people took to the streets in large numbers.
      The Norwegian newspaper Ny Tid, which regularly published articles written by Politkovskaya, called her a "martyr of freedom of speech". The newspaper said that the murder shows that Politkovskaya was right in what she was saying.
      In Estonia, press reactions were also strong, but no demonstrations were seen. Estonian commentators saw the killing as an indication that democracy does not work in Russia. Eesti Päevaleht wrote in its Monday editorial: "The tendency is growing stronger and stronger in Russia, that people disloyal to the Kremlin are silenced by force."
      As holder of the EU Presidency, Finland presented condolences on behalf of the EU, and called for an investigation into the crime. However, the greatest reaction seemed to have come from ordinary citizens.
     
Russian studies professor Timo Vihavainen sees the candlelight demonstration in Helsinki as a protest against the Russia of Vladimir Putin.
      "It was no expression of condolence to the Russian state. The view over here was that the Russian state was responsible for the murder. It was a demonstration against Putin."
      According to Vihavainen, a very negative image of Putin’s Russia has taken shape in Finland. In his view, the message in the candlelight demonstration was that Putin needs to do something - and that Finns are certainly not afraid to express their opinions.
     
The murder sparked an unusually intense discussion on the message board of the Helsingin Sanomat web site. Hundreds of messages that were posted included calls for a posthumous Nobel Peace Prize for Politkovskaya. There were also expressions of concern over the situation in Georgia, and criticism of the response from Finnish political leaders.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  More than 1,000 attend vigil for murdered Russian journalist (9.10.2006)
  A one-woman peace movement (17.12.2002)

Helsingin Sanomat