Sun, 06 Oct, 2013 12:04:56 AM Greenpeace supporters take streets in Helsinki Protests in dozens of countries planned FTimes-STT Report, October 6  Pro-Greenpeace people demonstrated in Helsinki on Saturday protesting detention of environmentalists in Russia. Photo – Lehtikuva. About 1,000 people staged demonstration in the city roads on Saturday protesting the detention of Greenpeace activists including Finnish environmentalist Sini Saarela by Russian authority.
The supporters of the environment organization brought out procession from Kiasma museum at about 1:00pm, marched towards Tehtaankatu area where the Russian embassy is situated in Helsinki, and demanded immediate release of the detained Greenpeace activists.
The police, however, stopped the procession to reach to the Russian embassy closing the road where the agitation ended at about 3:00 pm, said police.
Photo – Lehtikuva. The organisers claimed that about 1,300 people participated in the programme, although police estimated the number to be about a thousand.
Traffic was disrupted in the area for about two hours due to the procession of the Greenpeace supporters.
The environmental organization Greenpeace supporters have planned to stage protests around the globe in support of the 30 activists arrested and jailed by Russia for staging an open-sea protest against Arctic oil drilling, news agency STT reported quoting AFP on Saturday.
They would hold marches and other protests in dozens of countries.
Netherlands announced yesterday to launch the arbitration process in order to free the activists.
Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. Photo – Lehtikuva. Meanwhile, the Finland foreign minister, Erkki Tuomioja on Saturday said that the Dutch authority is expected to initiate a negotiation with the Russian authority regarding the pre-trial detention of the Greenpeace activists.
Talking to the TV 1, the minister said that he had discussed the issue with the Netherlands authority to deal the issue with Russia because the Greenpeace ship sailed with the Netherlands flag.
“The Netherlands authority decided to initiate the deal,” said Tuomioja, adding that the Russian law is different from the international law but it would not contradict to the International Law of the Sea treaty.
Terming the two-month pre-trial detention as unreasonable, the Foreign Minister said it might be possible that Finnish Greenpeace activist Sini Saarela would serve her prison term in Finland, if she is awarded jail sentence for piracy.
A handout photo provided by Greenpeace International shows the Greenpeace ship, Arctic Sunrise (R), being towed on September 24, 2013 into the Russian port of Murmansk by a Russian Coast Guard vessel. The ship is currently being held outside the port city of Murmansk. Photo - AFP / Lehtikuva. The Russian authority on September 29 sent the Finnish environment activist of the Greenpeace, Sini Saarela and others to two-month pre-trial detention in custody till November 24.
Earlier, the Russian coastguards on September 18 seized the Greenpeace ship with 30 environmentalists including a Finnish on board when they went to measure an oil platform of state-run energy giant Gazprom in South Barents Sea in Arctic.
After the detention, the Prime Minister, Jyrki Katainen on October 2 said that Finland would not consider the legal action taken against Greenpeace activists by Russia from the political point of view but the detention of Finnish environmentalist would be dealt with at administrative level.
On the same day the president, Sauli Niinistö advised the Finnish Greenpeace activist, Sini Saarela to keep patience and wait for disposal of the issue.
The President also assured that he was taking update of the situation continuously from the ministry of foreign affairs and directly from Russia.
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