Billboards in Helsinki Troll Trump and Putin
Jul 17, 2018
US President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin are to meet for a summit in Finland. As the Presidents arrived in Helsinki, Finnish newspaper welcomed the leaders with stating an important point about the freedom of press. It has put up around 300 billboards to remind the presidents that they are “in the land of free press”. Kaius Niemi, editor-in-chief, shared a picture of a banner and said that there are many such reminders put up in the city from the airport to the summit venue where they would travel. The boards feature the leaders’ “turbulent” attitudes toward free press. It is said that this is to show support for journalists in the US and Russia facing “ever toughening circumstances”
Checkout how the presidents are being welcomed:
Overseen in Helsinki: “Welcome to the land of free press” pic.twitter.com/12JQqpfpn3
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) July 16, 2018
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
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
Not only billboards, train stations also came forward to remind Trump and Putin of the same:
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 criticizing them:
2/ For more than 15 months, @realDonaldTrump has refused to publicly condemn the systematic torture, abuse and murder of LGBTQ people occurring in Chechnya as Vladimir Putin has licensed the violence to continue. #EyesOnChechnya https://t.co/roU9FcC6Kg
— 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
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 banners went viral all over social media:
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