Three members of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of hooliganism after performing a song criticizing President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow church, Russia's state news agency reported.Putin is letting all of Russia know that he don't play games while creating political martyrs out of a few crazy chicks who don't appear to be all that threatening.
The charge, which carries a potential seven-year sentence, stems from an unusual performance they gave in February.
"Mother Mary please drive Putin away," the band screamed, their faces covered in neon masks, inside Moscow's Christ Savior Cathedral.
The anonymous, feminist protest band called it a punk prayer.
Seven years is a long time to spend in prison for a song criticizing the president of a supposedly democratic state while pissing on Russian society's most enduring institution.
In their favor: World-wide artistic cred. Nothing says 'talking back to the man' quite like risking prison over it.
8 comments:
Russia has a long history of awesome outlaw bands that screamed "fuck you" to politicians and the Russian Orthodox church with elaborate stunts. (I actually based Upir's Mark from my comic Rasputin Catamite, on one of these bands.) Pretty awesome stuff.
While I am grateful that kick ass musicians aren't being thrown off bridges into icy lakes anymore (which still happened in the early 90's,) I am very sad that a revival tradition of silencing protest bands is back again.
Putin is an ass.
I can see a fine if the Orthodox Church sees their stunt as trespassing, but seven years in prison?
Interesting the name of the band is in English, not Russian. Maybe our punk bands need to name themselves "Zalupa Glasnost" or something?
the name is translated.
Bike Bubba and Gino, the name is actually not translated. The name is in English as a way to add some small protection against Putin. The ladies explain it here: http://www.vice.com/read/A-Russian-Pussy-Riot
I'd just like to point out that this is what "trampling on free speech" looks like.
I think Brian's using his gift for understatement here.... :^)
good link Vas. they got balls.
Yes they do! Stainless steel fortified ovaries!
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