Issue and Opponent: In 2016, an anti-immigration group called the Soldiers of Odin patrolled the streets of Tampere, Finland, carrying signs that read “Migrants Not Welcome”. This group has been criticized by the conservative coalition government for attempting to play vigilante.
Dilemma Action: The Soldiers of Odin (a play-on-words of LOL– laughing out loud) is a collective of clowns that claims to be a patrol of clowns. They walked down the streets of Tampere dressed in pajamas, bathrobes, red noses, and white face makeup. This group surrounded the Soldiers of Odin, as the latter marched through the streets of Tampere. While surrounding the group, the Soldiers sang and danced around them. The Soldiers were faced with the choice of patroling surrounded by clowns singing and dancing, disrupting the gravity of their message, or going home and not patrolling. The Soldiers joked that they wanted to patrol the streets with the Soldiers again and again, but eventually, the Soldiers went home. As the Soldiers left, the Soldiers sang a farewell song to the group.
Outcomes: Members of the Soldiers claimed that they have not seen the Soldiers in Tampere since this action. They claimed they would come back out and continue working if the Soldiers of Odin returned.