We were prepared to discuss things with the protesters and naturally wanted to acknowledge their right to express their opinion - the same way that we encourage the reindeer herders to speak their minds too.

On the out way from the camp to Inari, we noticed there was something going on. Four cars with the national radio & TV company's name passed us on the road between Angeli and Inari, and next to the Sáami museum, the Siida, two police cars drove towards the camp. In the centre of Inari the demonstrators' bus stopped close to the small Greenpeace office and about fifty demonstrators got out of the bus with their banners, some wearing Sáami outfits from Enontekio and other communities. There was two yard-bred driving reindeer 'participating'.

This demonstration ended quite quickly, when they realised, that the campaigners - Matti, Oliver and Jarmo - were at the camp in Paadarskaidi. Therefore the whole procession drove 30 kilometres back to the forest, where the protest - with loudspeakers was repeated. This time, with all Greenpeace volunteers on the spot, there was a chance to exchange views - although in many cases the difference of opinion seemed to be too big. The protest went peacefully and the interest of the media was big, perhaps connected to the Greenpeace actions this week in Geneva and Rome, where Finnish ministers were promoting wood export and talking about the rights of indigenous people. At the same time we heard that a group of concerned people led by the municipality manager from Inari had visited the Greenpeace office in Helsinki.

The protesters accused us for creating the forest dispute in Inari, and with spreading false information. They said that before Greenpeace turned up in Inari all people in the community got along fine - all forestry workers and reindeer herders, the Finns and the Sámi. We were told that the reindeer don't like to graze even in the national park and don't ever eat tree hanging lichen, except maybe from trees that lie on the ground in the logging areas. They said that both reindeer herding and forestry have always had enough space to coexist in the same forest.

We Greenpeacers see all livelihoods as equal. The reindeer herders tell us about disputes concerning forest use that have been taken to court almost fifteen years ago, and of building fences because the natural grazing cycle of the reindeer has been so disturbed by logging. The tell us of the rising expenses when extra feeding is needed in winter, and also about the ignorant attitude of the authorities when reindeer herders try to talk to them about their problems.

Therefore it is difficult to believe that there has been no dispute before. The Finnish Sámi Reindeer Herders Association commented on the situation a couple of days ago, saying:

"Reindeer herders have always been alone in the fight to save their livelihoods and lost the fight. State, Metsähallitus and the countiess have always prioritized other forms of land use, ignoring the needs of reindeer herding. For years reindeer herders have been offering information and making suggestions about the improvements for the members of the parliament and the government, but for nothing. It is only Greenpeace who has succeeded in pointing out the problems of reindeer herding. It must be seen as a positive issue, that there is someone who wants and dares to help, and gives support to reindeer husbandry, because by using official ways, thing have not got better".

When we consider that in Angeli, state-owned forests have only been logged since 1975, then fifteen years of disagreements on the issue is quite a lot.

Tomorrow the demarcation of important grazing forests continues in the Paadarskaidi area, where we'll be again working together with local reindeer herders.

- Satu