News

Parliament vandalism cleanup to cost €15k

The current estimate could still go up if new issues arise in cleaning the historic building.

Two workers on a crane washing a pillar of Parliament House with a pressure washer.
Finnish and Swedish climate groups carried out the highly visible protest last month, aiming to draw attention to peat mines in Sweden run by Finnish majority state-owned energy firm Neova. Image: Aintti Aimo-Koivisto / Lehtikuva
  • Yle News
  • STT

Cleaning the facade of Parliament, much of which was covered in red paint by protesters last month, will cost around 15,000 euros.

That's according to the latest estimate, as provided by the facility's estate manager, Sari Turunen, to news agency STT.

Cleaning efforts resumed on Monday morning, with workers using steam pressure washers to remove the water-based dye which protesters splattered on the historic building last month. The work is expected to conclude on Wednesday.

Members of climate groups Elokapina from Finland and Sweden's Restore Wetlands carried out the highly visible protest on 25 September, aiming to draw attention to peat mines in Sweden run by Finnish majority state-owned energy firm Neova.

The granite facade and steps of Finnish Parliament House, partly covered in red paint that was splattered with red dye by protesters, with a people taking photos in the foreground.
Protesters splattered red dye on the building on Wednesday, 25 September. Image: Mikko Koski / Yle

Despite previous efforts to clean the building, traces of the red dye were still visible on the structure's granite pillars, particularly in their porous seams.

The current estimate of 15,000 euros includes all costs involved in the cleaning efforts, according to Turunen, including a trial last week to see if pressurised steam would work.

She noted that the costs could still rise if there are further developments in the effort.

Traces of red dye on the granite wall of Parliament House.
Traces of red dye remained on the building, particularly in the seams between its granite blocks. Image: Petteri Juuti / Yle

The cleaning efforts are being carried out following recommendations from the Finnish Heritage Agency.

Workers have used a highly alkaline, biodegradable detergent to remove the dye from seams in the granite building's structure, where the colour was particularly absorbed, according to Juha-Pekka Ryynänen, Parliament's construction supervisor.