(en) Finland, Summary of anarchist support activities for public services wildcat strike in Helsinki

The trade union for public and welfare services (JHL) went on wildcat strike to oppose the 
"marketization" of Palmia, a municipally-owned service enterprise. Right-wing leadership 
of the city attempts to reorganise 50% of Palmia so that it must participate to tenders, 
which will lead to substantial wage cuts for the workers. The seizure of subway and tram 
transport by striking workers proved to be a powerful weapon in the struggle against the 
bosses. However, the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) organized replacement 
transportation to nullify its effect. Anarchists announced that they will block all the 
replacement buses and soon after that AKT (the union of bus drivers, amongst others) 
announced a strike on those routes.

This morning not a single replacement bus left Rautatientori between 8:00 and 8:40 because 
anarchists and others physically blocked the route by standing in front of them and/or 
sitting in doorways. Everything went very well. However, HSL then announced that 
replacement buses would no longer go to Rautatientori but instead turn back eastwards upon 
arriving in Hakaniemi. It was then that things got worse.

We split up into two groups so that a picket could be formed at Hakaniemi without 
abandoning Rautatientori. It was at this moment that police violently dispersed the picket 
line and started taking people into custody. Approximately six people were arrested in 
Rautatientori and lots of pictures began to circulate. When we got to Hakaniemi, there 
were more cops than protestors so only a minor delay was achieved and two comrades were 
arrested.

Some people then went to Suvilahti and caused another delay, again at the price of two 
arrests by police. After this, they went to Kisahalli to wait for said comrades and others 
to be released by the police. Upon being released, these comrades were given freshly 
cooked food by some of their fellow pickets as a gesture of political solidarity.

The picket received huge media coverage and surprisingly strong public support. It also 
incited significant opposition from right-wing reactionaries and others unmoved by the 
struggles of workers to exercise their collective agency in defence of public services. At 
the end of the day, the police had distributed some ?500 in fines and some protesters 
suffered minor physical injuries

Photos: 
https://avtonom.org/en/news/summary-anarchist-support-activities-public-and-welfare-services-wildcat-strike-helsinki-23rd