On Wednesday, 12 June, police were asked to clear out a protest encampment set up outside the University of Helsinki's Porthania building for the past month.
A University representative urged the protesters to dismantle their encampment on Monday, 10 June and again on Tuesday, 11 June, but the protesters refused to comply. As a result, the University was obliged to resort to police assistance in taking down the tents and dispersing the protesters.
The protesters had pitched their tents without the permission of the property holder, the University. Although the University facilities and grounds are not intended for camping, the protest was allowed to continue as long as it remained peaceful and did not unduly interfere with the University's regular operations.
Based on a comprehensive security assessment, the University decided to remove the unauthorised protest once it had, over its duration, expanded and come to hinder University operations excessively. This had led to negative feedback from University community members and service providers alike. In addition, some protesters had begun to commit acts of vandalism and prevent University staff from carrying out their work without disruption.
