HELSINKI, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- Finnish police arrested 23 protesters suspected of vandalizing and rioting during a protect march in the evening of the Finnish Independence Day on Saturday.
Around 200 protesters gathered under the slogan "From the suburbs to the Palace" in the Eastern Center of Helsinki on Saturday evening, reported Finnish national broadcaster YLE on Sunday.
They traveled by subway to downtown Helsinki and marched toward the Observatory Hill near the Presidential Palace, where the Finnish Presidential Independence Day Party was held.
The demonstrators carried banners criticizing the government's austerity policies and anti-capitalist slogans.
According to Petri Jehkonen, Detective Sergeant of Helsinki Police, many windows and gates as well as more than 10 cars were damaged, and graffiti was sprayed on walls.
In addition, Helsinki City Transport had to take one subway train out of service because of damage.
Jehkonen estimated that the damages will run into the hundreds of thousands of euros. However, no one was reported wounded at the demonstration.
Police said that they will interrogate the detainees on Sunday and Monday.
