News Analysis: Finnish observers fear national symbols "kidnapped" by rightists amid refugee crisis

For 20 years, Finland has been witnessing demonstrations against "elite festivities" on Dec. 6, the Independence Day, but this year saw something new which worried the observers.

Commenting on a nationalist gathering in Helsinki on Sunday, senior parliamentary researcher of Turku University Erkka Railo said the extreme-right activists were trying to take the advantage of the general patriotic feelings to attract publicity and achieve their own goals.

"They are trying to use independence to promote the wrong type of nationalism that is not constructive and will not benefit Finland. We have to hope that they will not succeed. They are far from achieving that goal," Railo was quoted by the Finnish national broadcaster Yle as saying.

Railo said Independence Day protests have been seen for 20 years, and they are nothing new to Finns. Previous demonstrations were mainly against "elite festivities," attempting "to draw attention to 'class conflicts'," he said.

Journalist Ilkka Malmberg commented in the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat earlier that ordinary citizens have become cautious against showing the Finnish Lion Coat of Arms on their T shirts - for fearing being suspected of being ultra nationalistic.

The journalist questioned whether the blue cross national flag would be "kidnapped" next.

Railo pointed out that the right-wing demonstrations were also a sign of increasing opposition to asylum seekers. Finns have been discussing heatedly on how to treat the large number of asylum seekers arriving in the country, he added.

The Nordic country with a population of only 5 million will receive some 30,000 asylum seekers by the end of the year.

Polarization between nationalistic groupings and their left-wing opponents led to major arrests in downtown Helsinki on Sunday evening. Potential skirmishes between the two groups were avoided as the police kept them apart, but violence erupted mainly between the police and the left-wingers.

It turned out that Sunday's clashes were more violent than previous years. Some 130 persons were detained around midnight, though less material damages were made.

For the first time in Finland, the police used FN303 impact launchers, a modern type of air gun, against protesters. Vesa Puuronen, Professor of Sociology at Oulu University told that it remains unclear whether the actions by the police were oversized in the situation. Police representatives said the action was based on the law allowing police to prevent situations worsening.

Most detained persons had been set free by Monday morning.

Protests took place several kilometres away from the downtown waterfront Presidential Palace, where the national presidential reception and ball were taking place.

The only protest seen inside the palace was the signs "169" carried by two invited guests representing the Sami minority in Lapland. The number refers to the ILO convention on indigenous peoples that Finland has not ratified. Endit