Police monitored youth gatherings in Kaivopuisto, Helsinki, on school graduation day, Saturday 31 May 2025. Photo: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva
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Police intervened in several cities across Finland on Saturday night as end-of-school celebrations by thousands of young people led to disturbances, violence and confiscations of alcohol and weapons.
In Helsinki, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 teenagers gathered in Kaivopuisto park, where officers dispersed the crowd after a series of incidents, including fireworks set off among groups, beer cans thrown at police, and fights breaking out.
In Oulu, hundreds assembled in Kiikkeli, prompting a public appeal from local police urging parents to retrieve their children. “Some of those detained had to be restrained due to violent behaviour,” police said. Officers issued fines for underage drinking and seized alcohol, knives and fireworks. Similar scenes were reported in Oulu’s city centre and surrounding districts.
The pattern was repeated in several other regions, including Eastern and Western Uusimaa, Southeast Finland, Häme, and Lahti. Officers dealt with intoxicated minors, assaults, and unauthorised use of fireworks.
Western Uusimaa police said the most serious disturbances occurred in Espoo’s Haukilahti, Liessari in Lohja, and at Nummelanharju School in Vihti. The beach in Haukilahti was cleared due to rising disorder. At Nummelanharju School, the grounds were evacuated after some youths attempted to obstruct police work.
In Espoo and Lohja, police seized dozens of litres of alcoholic beverages, much of it in the possession of underage partygoers.
In Lahti, police responded to multiple assaults involving minors near the harbour.
Tampere saw the largest single gathering of the night, with around 4,000 young people gathering at Rosendahl beach. Despite the numbers, no major disturbances were reported.
“Considering the number of attendees, the night was quite peaceful overall,” said Emmi Erkkilä, coordinator of youth services for the City of Tampere.
Weather conditions were cooler than in recent years, which police believe may have helped limit the scale of the gatherings in some areas.
Police and local authorities across the country issued reminders in advance about restrictions on alcohol use, fireworks and public safety measures. Officers were on heightened alert in anticipation of school-leaving celebrations, which are known to attract large crowds of minors to parks, beaches and urban spaces.
The end-of-term weekend is one of the busiest periods of the year for youth policing in Finland. Most schools closed for the summer on Friday.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
