Demonstrated in front of the Riksdag in Helsinki
Newly elected Finnish Riksdag representatives on their way to the Riksdag building in the Finnish capital were greeted by a demonstration of young Sami people on Thursday.
They demonstrated to remind Riksdag politicians of the human rights of the Sami and the right to self-determination in matters affecting the Sami.
Among other things, they point to the fact that several Finnish governments have not finalized proposals for amending the Sami Parliament Act.
The amendment to the law affects, among other things, the criteria for participation in the Sami parliamentary elections in Finland.
For several years there has been a heated dispute on the Finnish side of Sápmi over who will get the right to vote for the Sámi Parliament.
Some believe that the law can be misused by people who want to promote their own interests and work against the development and strengthening of Sami culture.
Still others believe that the voting criteria cannot be so narrowed that people who are Sami are denied participation in the election.
It is up to the new Finnish government to decide whether to finalize the amendments to the Sami Parliament Act.
Several of the participants in today’s protest in Helsinki also took part in the Fosen protests in Oslo in February and March.
