The sentencing of a respected scholar on racism of aggravated defamation by a Turku Court is more of a warning to others who may protest against ethnic profiling by security guards and the police. The verdict raises a lot of answered questions.
One of these is why was the seventeen-year-old put in handcuffs for not having a valid ticket. If he were white, would he have received the same treatment by the ticket inspectors and security guards?
The Helsinki Police, and the Finnish police in general, have a dismal reputation for dealing with ethnic profiling. It wasn’t too long ago when the police admitted that they did not ethnically profile anyone.
Why did the media think it is important to constantly identify the victim as “a dark-skinned” person?
We at Migrant Tales are at a loss of words and the whole affair, which began in July 2020, must have taken an emotional toll on the mother and son. How would any mother react if her son were being manhandled and handcuffed by security guards?
There is one clear message from the ordeal: Don’t mess with the law or authorities because you’ll lose.
Below is the reaction by the African Anti-Racism Society on Instagram:
Rasmus also reacted (in Finnish) in a Facebook post:
Translation of the above post:
Reflections and questions from last week’s Helsingin Sanomat article
Ethnic Profiling and Social Media: ethnic profiling by the Finnish police and guards is a serious phenomenon. As the case of James Nikander, Musta Barbaari’s family, and the experiences of numerous other brown Finns show, we know that ethnic profiling in Finland is widespread and ongoing. James Nikander only managed to get justice for his family thanks to his online publicity and perseverance. Often, social media is the only outlet that ordinary citizens have. Do we really want to raise the threshold for brown Finns to talk about our experiences of racism?
Disrespect or seeking justice?: Instead of focusing the article on the original problem of possible racist abuse, the author has chosen to focus on the mother’s defamation claim. This perspective obscures the key issues and problems in the case.
Distraction: HSL and the authorities defend their actions by claiming that there was no racism or excessive use of force. However, the article completely lacks the perspective of the boy or his family. Why did they feel they were subjected to racism?
The role and risks of social media: the mother’s decision to share the incident on social media brought the case into the public eye, but it also brought legal and personal risks. This case shows the power of social media, but also the risks associated with it, especially for minority Finns.
Dark-skinned – Appropriate Term? The term “dark-skinned” used in the article raises questions about its appropriateness and its relevance. Why the term has been used in this context and how it has affected the handling of the case and the tone of the public debate?
Timing of publication and stage of the trial: the article was published in the middle of the trial, before the verdict. This timing raises questions: was the publication intended to influence public opinion or the court’s decision?
We would like to see a follow-up article from Helsingin Sanomat that takes better account of the perspectives of all parties and the wider social significance of the chain of events.