Rebellion Tips

⧖ Mothers' Rebellion's protest in downtown Helsinki on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.

⧖ Event tip for rebels in the capital region: Elokahvila meets weekly until May 26. Come and bring a friend—coffee nights are on Tuesdays from 4–6 p.m.! ☕️🧁🍬 Elokahvila is at Rauhankahvila Fredrika (Veturitori 3, Helsinki).

⧖ Media team's ice cream picnic in Helsinki on May 23 at 1 p.m. – come meet the Elokapina newsmakers! Send an email to media@elokapina.me for the precise location.

In this newsletter:

• The Quiet Circle of the Mothers’ Rebellion on May 23
• Elokapina Participates in the Purkutaide Exhibition
• Toivo Elossa Festival in Tampere in July
• News from Local Groups

Mothers’ Rebellion: A Silent Circle on May 23

Mothers’ Rebellion is organizing a protest in downtown Helsinki on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 2:30 p.m., where we will gather in a silent circle to remind people of the importance of biodiversity and to demand a livable world for our children. Those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis are already suffering the most from it.

At the demonstration, we will urge passersby to pause and reflect on the issues of justice and the emotions surrounding the climate crisis and the loss of nature. We are creating a safe, communal space in the heart of the bustling city center where people can experience and express their concerns, sadness, anger, and anxiety regarding the environmental crisis, but also their love, hope, and the power of working together.

We will gather for a briefing at 2 p.m. at Tekla Hultin Square (behind Kiasma), at the end of Postikuja. From there, we will proceed to the site of the action. You can also join us directly, but we recommend attending the briefing. The demonstration is open to everyone who wants to take action for children and our planet. It does not involve any form of civil disobedience.

We will sit in a circle, so please bring a seat pad. Bring your own sign; a few sign templates will be available on-site. At some point, a microphone will be passed around the circle. If you’d like, you can share some of your own thoughts—but of course, you don’t have to. The demonstration ends at 4 p.m. After that, we’ll return to the square for a closing circle. There, you’ll have the chance to share the feelings and thoughts that came to the surface for you.

Welcome to join us! Together we are stronger; together we can spread love and hope.

The Last Drop – Ending Our Dependence on Oil

The spring rally held in downtown Helsinki on Saturday, May 9, criticized our society’s dependence on fossil fuels and called on the government to take action to change it. Read the press release on elokapina.fi/news and check out the atmosphere of the recently concluded demonstration on our social media accounts.

Can you see the forest for the trees?

Social and health care professionals from Elokapina, including members of Sotekapina and Elopsykologit, staged a protest at the Pulp & Beyond forestry industry event in April. The protesters highlighted the contradiction between sustainability discourse based on innovation and technology and the pursuit of maximized operating profits at the expense of forests. See the press release for the “Can you see the forest for the trees?” campaign on our website, elokapina.fi/news (in Finnish).

Charges in the Sotekapina case dismissed

Good news from the Helsinki District Court: The charges of disobedience related to last spring’s Sotekapina protest have been dismissed. At the time, the police ordered the protest against social and health care cuts to end and arrested two demonstrators. However, the court ruled that the police did not have the authority under the Assembly Act to issue an order to disperse.

Citizens’ fundamental rights have been eroded in recent years. The recent district court decision is therefore an important step in the opposite direction. Read more about this in our press release, elokapina.fi/news.

Elokapina Participates in the Purkutaide Exhibition

Elokapina is participating in this year’s Purkutaide (Demolition Art) Exhibition, whose theme is “This is what I want to say.” The exhibition opens in Helsinki in conjunction with the Arabia Street Festival on May 16, 2026. Elokapina’s artivism working group is participating with the site-specific artwork “Plant That Tree.” The interactive piece invites visitors to explore their connections to past and future generations, as well as to other living beings.

Exhibition location: Hämeentie 135C (Arabia 135 block).

Toivo elossa Festival in Tampere on July 10

The Toivo elossa Festival returns for its third edition with an eco-conscious cultural program at G Livelab Tampere on Friday, July 10, from 7 p.m. to midnight. The event is free and open to all ages.

Performing at the festival are the indie-folk band Olva, the earthy and poetic band Luhtaniitty, and the Helsinki-based indie rock band Pelko. The evening will kick off with Tampere’s Elokapina’s Elokvartetti and a rebellious cover artist. The event will also feature talks by author Johanna Sinisalo, artist-researcher and docent Raisa Foster, and eco-critical literary scholar Karoliina Lummaa. Stay tuned – more details in the June newsletter! <3

❣️Reminder about harassment liaisons

Elokapina has a group of general harassment liaisons. This is an ongoing support role that operates even outside of actions and events. You can contact them if you experience harassment or want more information on the matter. You can reach them on Element, or by email at hyh@elokapina.me.

General harassment liaisons provide support to those who have experienced harassment, assist in handling both conflict and harassment situations, and intervene in inappropriate behavior. Their role is to listen to the parties involved, take their experiences seriously, and determine the nature of the situation and what kind of assistance is needed.

News from Tampere...

Tampere Opportunities Fair on Thursday, May 14, from 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. at Väinö Linnan Square (in the Finlayson area). Come say hi to us at the Elokapina booth!

You should also check out the interesting program of the Tampere Social Forum taking place alongside the event. 1:15–2:15 p.m.: A representative from Tampere Elokapina will participate in the intergenerational discussion “Opposed or Together,” held at the Workers’ Hall on the 2nd floor of the Werstas Labor Museum.

Elokapina onboarding (Join Elokapina 1) on Tuesday, May 26, from 5:00–7:30 p.m. Register by email at tampere@elokapina.me. Please share this information with your friends and family! (links in the Finnish text!)

... and Oulu!

🚲️ Bike Uprising

Oulu Bike Revolt is organizing a cycling event on UN World Bicycle Day, June 3, 2026, in collaboration with the Oulu Cyclists Association, honoring the history and spirit of “critical mass bike ride” events. This means:
- 40–50 cyclists, helmets required, carnival costumes encouraged
- aiming to have a symbolic figure at the front of the procession—perhaps a cyclist dressed as a polar bear?
- music from a speaker: techno music and cowbells (real or from a speaker)
- a leisurely cycling pace for 30–40 minutes along main thoroughfares, with 3 cyclists riding side by side
- all participants may carry a sign with a message of their choice related to the theme.

The message of the event is ecological reconstruction, calling for a fair redistribution of urban space among pedestrians, cyclists, public transportation, and cars. The aim is also to criticize the City of Oulu’s plans as unambitious and car-biased.

With rage and especially with love