From newspaper to Amnesty: Organisations put up billboards trolling Trump, Putin in Helsinki

Kaius Niemi, editor-in-chief, shared a photo of one such banner and said hundreds of such reminders have been put up in the city on the routes from the airport to the summit venue. The signboards feature headlines in English and Russian from 2000-2018 detailing the respective leaders’ “turbulent” attitudes toward a free press. Other signs include messages like, “Trump calls media enemy of the people,” and his repetitive attack on news media as fake news.

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As we welcome the presidents to the summit in Helsinki, we @hsfi want to remind them of the importance of free press. 300 billboards on the routes from the airport to the summit are filled with news headlines regarding presidents’ attitude towards the pressfreedom. #HELSINKI2018 pic.twitter.com/KmYJtLyeNE

— Kaius Niemi (@KaiusNiemi) July 15, 2018

Niemi said these were intended to show support for journalists in the US and Russia facing “ever toughening circumstances”, reported the Hill.

Overseen in Helsinki: “Welcome to the land of free press” pic.twitter.com/12JQqpfpn3

— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) July 16, 2018

Welcome to #thelandofthefreepress #Helsinki2018 pic.twitter.com/AtRQmDYHWv

— Markus Nieminen (@markusnieminen) July 15, 2018

The @RealDonad_Trump is welcomed approprietly in Helsinki.#Helsinki2018 #HelsinkiSummit pic.twitter.com/LlMhHlhCgz

— Vitux (@Supervitux) July 16, 2018

300 anti-Trump billboards spread from Airport to Summit. #HELSINKI2018 #TrumpPutinSummit pic.twitter.com/KDJBlG5DhU

— Scoops (@jb5006812) July 16, 2018

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And it was not just the newspaper who took it upon themselves to remind Trump and Putin about concerning issues. “Make human rights great again,” Amnesty International put up a sign in Helsinki train station.

Helsinki Central railwaytstation. Never seen people stop to photograph ads before #TrumPutinHelsinki #HelsinkiCalling #TrumpPutinSummit #HelsinkiForHumanRights pic.twitter.com/ZsmEuVShYu

— Frank Johansson (@FrankAmnesty) July 15, 2018

The Human Rights Campaign placed banners on Finland’s Presidential Palace on Sunday criticising Putin’s approach and treatment of Chechnya’s LGBTQ population.

3/Ahead of the Trump-Putin Summit, @HRC joined @bellvisuals to project a message onto the side of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki demanding that both leaders end the ongoing anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity occurring in the Russian republic of Chechnya. #EyesOnChechnya pic.twitter.com/dldw5fRb3l

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) July 16, 2018

4/ The world is watching — silence is deadly. #EyesOnChechnya pic.twitter.com/BdSzCKhDF5

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) July 16, 2018

“Blessed are the Peacemakers” The facade of the Office of the Church Council facing the Presidental Palace in Finland. #helsinki2018 pic.twitter.com/47pdfWSf38

— Marianne Ejdersten (@MarianneEjder) July 16, 2018

RIGHT NOW! Greenpeace climbers in a church tower calling for climate action as Trump and Putin meet in Helsinki. #Helsinki2018 #OurPlanetOurFuture pic.twitter.com/iriSGABEZ1

— Greenpeace Suomi (@GreenpeaceSuomi) July 16, 2018

Well played #Finlayson 👏 #Helsinki2018 #HelsinkiSummit #TrumpPutinSummit #Esplanadi #Helsinki #Finland pic.twitter.com/VYE39FdRUp

— Juho Ruohola (@aliquisnj) July 14, 2018

I love this message to Presidents Putin & Trump and their meeting in #HELSINKI2018 Kudos to @LauraTarkka and her team #keeppeace pic.twitter.com/O7WUhjU9Cp

— KristiinaHartikainen (@KristiinaHart) July 13, 2018

The different banners in Helsinki quickly went viral on social media with people lauding the newspaper and other organisation for their campaigns.

Nothing to add. I tip my hat to you Helsingin Sanomat. #helsinginsanomat #finland #landoffreepress pic.twitter.com/GCslPooqUR

— Juhku (@TheJuhku) July 16, 2018

300. Billboards. So proud of @hsfi for doing this! #HelsinkiCalling #Resist https://t.co/xWWGBTRsrA

— Mikko Alanne (@MikkoAlanne) July 16, 2018

Good move. Both president Trump and Putin need to be reminded about importance of free press. #pressfreedom https://t.co/CnL1HmgEgc

— Gareth Harding (@garethharding) July 16, 2018

Wow. The Finns are bringing it. Thank you, people of Helsinki. 🙏🏽💪🏽#HelsinkiSummit #Helsinki2018 https://t.co/nHJRJvEUDJ

— Susan Solomon (@SusanSolomon) July 15, 2018

Awesome work @hsfi the largest newspaper in the Nordics displaying hundreds of billboards reminding presidents Trump and Putin about the freedom of the press #Helsinki2018 ‘welcome to the land of free press’ pic.twitter.com/TmhnNQIo0K

— Angela Priestley (@angelapriestley) July 15, 2018

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