Students occupied the Porthania building of the University of Helsinki on September 18 and stayed until 6 pm on Saturday night. The building's superintendent says the occupation went smoothly throughout.
Organisers say their nine-day stretch, which began after the thousands-strong labour demonstration in and around the Railway Square, is the longest academic occupation in the history of Finland. During their stay – in itself a demonstration against the government's proposed university cuts – the occupiers organised musical performances and panel discussions.
The organisers say they would support an education system-wide strike as well as extending it to a general strike.
