Finland: Day of action against the elections and honoring the Workers’ Revolution of 1918
Featured image: A march against the presidential election in Finland took place on the 27th of January. Source: Punalippu
In Tampere and in a nearby city actions have been made for the election boycott and for commemorating the 106th anniversary of the Worker’s Revolution of Finland, which began on the 27th of January 1918. This year this day happened to be the eve of the presidential elections. Some weeks before, posters calling for a day of action appeared on the streets, and other actions were made.
On the 27th of January revolutionaries gathered at the memorial of the red guards at the Kalevankangas cemetery. Candles and flowers were laid to the grave, and the Internationale was sung. After this, two speeches followed. The first one handled the historical events of the Workers’ Revolution of Finland and made the conclusion that those who recognize the necessity of an armed socialist revolution, uphold the legacy of the Worker’s Revolution of 1918. Then the speech focused on the international situation, talking about the development of the International Communist League, the ongoing People’s Wars in the Philippines, India, Peru and Turkey, and the leading role of Chairman Gonzalo and the Communist Party of Peru for the World Revolution. The brutal police violence against the LLL-demonstration was also denounced. Then slogans were shouted.
Then another speech followed, in which the deepening of the general crisis of imperialism, the threat of the third world war and the role of Finland as a NATO member in this was discussed, and revolution was demanded.
After the grave visit a march against the presidential elections was organized in the city center of Tampere. During the march, slogans ”Elections no, revolution yes!” “Unite under Maoism!” “Viva Marx, Viva Lenin, Viva Mao Tse-tung!”, “Down with the butcher State1”, “For Socialism, against Imperialism!”, “From the River to the sea, Palestine will be free!” were shouted. The march ended to the central square, next to the election campaign stands. There the speaker of the march greeted the campaigners with a speech denouncing that each and every candidate is for increasing militarization of society and the exploitation of the oppressed nations, and justify the Zionist occupation of Palestine and the genocide of the Palestinian people. The speaker highlighted that the only option is to crush the imperialist system and in Finland this will be done by crushing Finnish imperialism with socialist revolution.
On the square, two speeches were held. In the first one, it was again denounced that none of the presidential candidates do not oppose the Zionist State of Israel, and that as long as the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie remains, it is no use to talk about democracy. Then again the revolution of 1918, successful revolutions and the ongoing People’s Wars were mentioned as examples for the Finnish revolutionaries. Also the attack against the LLL-demonstration in Berlin was again denounced. The other speech discussed the deepening crisis of imperialism as well as denounced the role of NATO as a military alliance led by US imperialism, and pointed out that the misery of the masses is only growing while the rich become richer, and revolution was demanded.
1Referring to the foundations of the modern Finnish State being in the massacre of hundreds of thousands of workers in 1918 and the following decades.
