Police dispersed thousands of young people in Tampere – firework violence spread across Finland
Thousands of young people gathered at Tampere's Pyynikki swimming beach on Saturday evening; police dispersed the crowd at around ten o'clock in the evening. Dangerous use of fireworks was also recorded in Ostrobothnia and Kemi.
Thousands of young people gathered at Pyynikki – police dispersed the crowd
Turun Sanomat reported that police intervened on Saturday evening in a large gathering of young people in Tampere. According to Central Finland Police, several thousand young people had congregated at Pyynikki swimming beach and the surrounding areas from early evening onwards.
Police sent multiple patrols to the scene to address drug use, disorderly conduct, and particularly dangerous use of fireworks. The gathering of young people was brought to an end and the crowd was dispersed at around ten o'clock in the evening. All those in the area were issued with dispersal orders.
Five young people were arrested and taken into police custody for being intoxicated and disorderly conduct. One of them is suspected of resisting an official.
Dangerous fireworks kept police busy elsewhere
Ostrobothnia Police reported receiving numerous alerts related to fireworks during the night. According to the police emergency call log, rockets were fired at people, cars and buildings. In one report, a rocket was said to have hit a person's hand, in another a rocket was fired into a person's mouth. According to the reports, young people also fired rockets at each other and at primary school-aged children. In addition, police were notified of a post box being blown up and the use of homemade bombs – in several cases minors were described as the perpetrators.
Police also had to intervene in a situation in Kemi: according to Lapland Police, several hundred intoxicated minors had gathered in the car park of the Kemi City market. Fireworks were set off and music was played loudly in the area. Lapland Police appealed to parents and asked them to collect their children from the area.
Source: Turun Sanomat