Refugees have been the topic on everyone’s lips in Finland, lately. Demonstrations for and against the refugee presence in our country have been springing up like mushrooms after the rain. Less than a month ago, Seinäjoki had not one, but two, protests in the same place, at the same time… and my visit to there coincided with both.
The Not in My Name (“Ei minun nimissäni”) protest was the smaller, quieter group. They insisted that the Close All Borders (“Rajat kiinni”) group stop using the so-called female peace (peace for women to not be sexually harrassed by foreigners) as an excuse for their racist words and actions. In fact, rape and the safety of women have been some of the biggest issues raised in the debates about refugees. However, many seem to neglect the fact that Finnish women have experienced plenty of rape well before the refugee influx. Women’s safety is crucial but it should not be used to mask racism and hate against any group of people.
Unfortunately, the symbolic gesture of opposing the anti-refugee demonstration was drowned out by the screams of the middle-aged men waving signs and looking at us with contempt. The insults toward our peaceful protest ranged from calling the attendees teenage girls to accusing us of unpatriotism due to our lack of Finnish flags.
Seinäjoki is one of the more conservative cities in Finland and, luckily, the lack of participation in the Not in My Name protest doesn’t reflect the situation around the country. However, it is a worrying example of a town where many students and young people would be open to helping those in need, no matter what their nationality, while older, more conservative generations still prevail in the mainstream town politics.
The photo above, on the right, is taken outside the refugee center in Seinäjoki. Before the protest, my mother took me there to show where she’s been volunteering for months now. Many of the residents worried about our safety in participating in the protest. Every single child came to hello with curiousity and enthusiasm; many welcomed me in whatever Finnish they knew. A Syrian family my mother had befriended during her volunteer shifts even invited us to dinner. Their warmth toward me, a person they had only heard about in passing, was encouraging.
Never before I have been so disappointed in my own countrymen.
All photos by Laura Kurki.