Wappu is the highlight of the year for us students. Unfortunately, on May Day, the openly fascist Sinimusta Liike organised a “White May Day” march in the city centre, where the participants assaulted a young woman protesting the march. The attackers were masked. In addition to this one, the police are also currently investigating other acts of violence relating to the march.
May Day, and Wappu in general, is supposed to be one of the happiest events of the year, bringing communities together. In the spirit of the celebration, the mayor of Tampere Ilmari Nurminen declared in his Wappu oath speech that during Wappu time, the city belongs to the students. However, the city was taken over not only by joy and a sense of community, but also by hatred and fascism.
The assault on May Day was a tragic event, and it illustrates how polarisation, violent opinions, and restricting freedom of speech are increasingly normalised both in Finland and in the world. Constant crises and increasing uncertainty have diminished the young people’s hope for the future: trusting in democracy and the justice system might seem almost naïve to some. It’s not surprising then, that all this anxiety turns into radical action.
The event once again reminds us of the importance of democracy education. In the core of democracy education is encouraging participation in democratic decision-making and thus preventing political anxiety from turning into violence. We must ensure that young people experience positive participation in society and that they can truly have an impact; there must be information and education available on ethical ways of making a difference in the world. Freedom of speech, without the intention of restricting the right for others, is key to a civilised society.
Around the time of the assault, the first-year engineering students walked on Hämeenkatu in the Fuksi Parade organised by the Teekkari Union of Tampere. The Fuksi Parade is one of the biggest student events after the Teekkari Dipping in Tampere, if not in the country. It is simply wrong that political violence creates insecurity on the streets of Tampere. Tampere should be a safe city where students and other people alike can celebrate or simply enjoy themselves without fear.
Wappu is a celebration of joy and community, not of hatred and violence.
– The Executive Board of the Student Union of Tampere University in Tampere on 7 May 2026
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist. / Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist. / Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew. / Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
– Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)