Activists in Turku may be left disappointed after police said they want organisers of next month’s planned zombie procession to pay the fees needed and provide the private security for holding a public event.
The zombie procession may now end up having to be scrapped as police view it as a public event and not a public gathering. The former requires organisers to pay the fees required to ensure a minimum of four security personnel are present. Furthermore, organisers would have to provide safety vests to traffic controllers.
Mira Suovanen, who is in charge of the event, is working on ensuring the correct safety procedures are in place, and has ensured the procession, which will see hundreds of people dressed as zombies, will still take place in the southwestern city next month.
Zombie processions have been held in various parts of Finland in the past including Helsinki, Tampere, Joensuu, Mikkeli, Oulu, Hameenlinna and Kuopio. Previously, police have allowed the event to be classed as a public gathering and not demanded the regulations of a public event are adhered to.
The zombie craze is also popular in other parts of the world, including Russia, where supporters of the imprisoned members of punk-rock band Pussy Riot are planning a zombie demonstration in order to protest their incarceration.