On February 10th, in the freezing snow of Tampere, 300 people gathered in Sori Square to demand Israel’s exclusion from the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest. If the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) refuses, protesters insisted that Finland’s broadcaster Yle and this year’s Finnish act must boycott instead. The demonstration, organised by @TampereWithPalestine, was part of a…

On February 5th, members of Aalto Students for Palestine met with Aalto University leadership to discuss our open letter, Act in Solidarity with Palestine, signed by more than 650 students, alumni, and staff. The meeting revealed both the urgency of the moment and the reluctance of the university to act. While leadership repeatedly expressed sympathy,…

Over the past year, Finnish universities have witnessed a surge of activism in solidarity with Palestine. Student groups across the country have organized walkouts, teach-ins, vigils, and petitions calling for an end to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and highlighting Finland’s complicity through arms trade and research collaboration. This movement has grown alongside wider mobilizations…

Parolan panssarimuseon viimeaikainen yleisöryntäys Tiger II -panssarivaunun ansiosta kertoo jotakin olennaista: sota-ajan teknologia, näyttävyys ja historia vetävät väkeä. Mutta mitä kaikkea museossa todella esitellään – ja miten se vaikuttaa siihen, miten suomalaiset ymmärtävät sodan, viholliset ja itsensä? Museo ei ole neutraali tila. Sen asettelu ja esineistö rakentavat tarinaa kansallisesta puolustuksesta ja sankaruudesta. Panssarivaunut ja univormut…

In recent years, Finnish universities have faced increasing scrutiny for their role in shaping public debate. Yet the focus has often been misplaced. Instead of confronting the structural racism and epistemic hierarchies that shape higher education, much of the mainstream media has chosen to amplify complaints about so-called “wokeness.” In doing so, they reinforce a…

The events of 2023 have once again forced the world to confront the depth of Palestinian suffering and the ongoing structures of settler colonialism in Israel-Palestine. For more than a century, Palestinians have endured dispossession, violence, and the denial of their right to exist as a people on their own land. The recent intensification of…

“I will not dance to your war drum. I will not lend my soul nor my bones to your war drum …” — Suheir Hammad On the morning of September 19th, students walked into the University of Helsinki’s main building and declared it occupied. We, Students Against Cuts, organized this action to demand attention to…

Kun Suomen hallitus julkaisi elokuun lopussa tiedonantonsa yhdenvertaisuudesta, tasa-arvosta ja syrjimättömyydestä, huomio keskittyi ministereiden aikaisempiin rasistisiin lausuntoihin ja hallituksen yritykseen irtisanoutua niistä. Vähemmälle tarkastelulle on jäänyt itse hallitusohjelma ja se, millaisilla tavoilla se käytännössä rakentaa eriarvoisuutta alkuperän, etnisyyden ja oikeudellisen aseman perusteella. Minulle tämä herättää kysymyksen: jos ohjelma korostaa yhdenvertaisuutta julkisissa lausunnoissa, miksi sen konkreettiset…

The recent political scandals in Finland, where ministers and politicians have been exposed for making racist statements, have sparked a wave of protests. These mobilizations deserve recognition, but it is important to note that racism cannot be reduced to the problem of individual prejudice, offensive language, or reputational damage to Finland abroad. Racism is systemic,…

The debate over whether the EU should impose a blanket ban on short-term visas for Russian citizens has gained momentum since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In Finland and across the Baltic states, the proposal has been framed as a form of solidarity with Ukraine, a way to punish Russia’s aggression by limiting…