According to senior police, Saturday's demonstration against coronavirus restrictions in downtown Helsinki will not set a precedent for future demonstrations.
Police chief Seppo Kolehmainen said the police may also act differently if there are similar demonstrations in the future.
According to the police, the weekend's demonstration did not proceed as had been agreed with organisers. Around 400 demonstrators turned up, and smaller groups merged into bigger ones once the demonstrations started, despite current rules that limit public gatherings to six people.
Many people on social media have questioned why the police allowed demonstrators to break current coronavirus restrictions.
"Of course, the police's main task is to ensure public safety. In this type of situation, we also try to promote cooperation, so from that point of view the outcome can be considered a success. The demonstration did not turn violent, and everything went peacefully," Kolehmainen told Yle on Sunday.
Police tried to direct the protesters into smaller groups, but to no avail.
"I find it very dubious for people to gather in this way, without caring about the safety of others," he continued.
The question now is whether the protest will possibly give citizens the impression that coronavirus restrictions can be freely broken. According to Kolehmainen, this is not the case.
"This will not set a precedent, and it isn't any kind of gateway to other kinds of activities. Next time, we will act in another way or keep promoting cooperation," Kolehmainen said.
Yle also asked for an interview with Interior Minister Maria Ohisalo (Green), who did not want to comment on the matter.