Twitter Lauds Billboards in Helsinki That Welcomed Trump and Putin

Several organisations put up billboards criticising Trump and Putin in Helsinki.

A billboard in Helsinki, Finland welcoming US President Donald Trump and Russian US President Vladimir Putin for the Helsinki Summit.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/KaiusNiemi)

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin travelled to Helsinki, Finland for a Summit, and this is how they were welcomed.

Welcome to the Land of Free Press

Kaius Niemi, Editor-in-Chief of Helsingin Sanomat, the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, shared a photo of one of the many billboards that were put up in Finland’s southern capital that said “Mr. President, welcome to the land of free press.”

Niemi said in his tweet that the 300 billboards lining the route from the airport to the Summit venue were put up “to remind them of the importance of free press.”

The billboards featured headlines in both English and Russian from the year 2000 to 2018, depicting the leaders’ attitude towards the freedom of the press.

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

“The media shouldn’t be the lap dog of any president or regime.”

Kaius Niemi, Editor-in-Chief of Helsingin Sanomat (as <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/media/397113-largest-newspaper-in-finland-hits-trump-and-putin-over-press-freedom-with">quoted in <i>The Hill</i></a>)

Tweeple Laud the Move

Pictures of the billboards have been all over social media since the Summit and are being shared widely.

Not just Helsingin Sanomat, organisations like Amnesty International also presented their take on the leaders’ policies through billboards.

The Human Rights Campaign put up banners on Finland’s Presidential Palace, criticising Putin’s treatment of Chechnya’s LGBTQ population.

Tweeple also tweeted out numerous other banners put up by different organisations in Finland.

Before the Summit, Trump had tweeted that “much of our news media is indeed the enemy of the people” and had complained that no matter how well the Summit goes, he will face negative press coverage.