How do you protect yourself against street-rape in Finland?

Why, you just say no!

It's that easy, ladies!

In Finland it's virtually impossible to carry a gun legally for self-defense, and you need a license to carry pepper-spray–a license that's typically available only to professional security guards. But after self-described "refugees" from Mideastern conflicts turned New Year's Eve in Helsinki into a grope-fest as they did in other Northern European cities, police have been scratching their heads trying to devise legal ways for women to protect themselves against sexual assault in public places.

Finally, they came up with this training video, promoting two surefire tactics for getting rid of street harassers pronto:

1. The Force: Stretch out both arms in front of youand show that would-be sexual assailant the palms of your hands in a "Halt!" gesture. Look mean and tough while you're doing it. He will back off and slink away. Really! Didn't you know that your palms can generate paralyzing waves of energy all by themselves?

2. Your Purse Is Actually a Flail: Swing your handbag in the direction of the assailant the way medieval warriors swung those spiked steel balls on chains into the faces of their enemies. He will be terrified and run off. This could actually work if you had a large lead weight in your purse instead of your wallet and phone.

Here's Wikipedia on Finland's gun laws:

[Guns] may be carried only when they are transported from their place of storage to the place of use (shooting range, hunting area or such). Even then they must be unloaded and concealed or kept in carrying pouches. Aside from law enforcement agents and military personnel, only security guards with closely defined working conditions, special training and a permit are allowed to carry a loaded gun in public places….

To obtain a firearms license, an individual must declare a valid reason to own a gun (self defense is not considered "valid").

Here's Wikipedia on pepper spray in Finland:

Possession of pepper spray requires a license.

  • Licenses are issued for defensive purposes and to individuals working jobs where such a device is needed such as the private security sector.[28]

    • However, the Finnish Supreme Court has recently ruled in KKO:2010:7 that owning a pepper spray is in itself not a punishable act; but, on the other hand, carrying one can be punished as a device capable of harming other people.

To see how The Force can be an effective anti-rape device, watch this parody video of the Finnish police video.