If we could adopt any cat in the world, it would be the one that meows along to forgotten ’90s alt bands:
Tag: Pussy Riot (11-20 of 20)
Sep 13
2012
05:02 PM ET
Sep 12
2012
05:58 PM ET
Russian prime minister thinks keeping Pussy Riot in jail is 'unproductive'
Image Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/Getty Images
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday called for three members of the punk band Pussy Riot to be freed, a sign that the women’s release could be imminent since their case comes up for appeal on Oct. 1.
The band members were arrested for performing a raucous prayer inside Moscow’s main cathedral asking Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin as he headed into the election that handed him a third term as president. They had already spent more than five months in jail when they were convicted in August of “hooliganism driven by religious hatred” and sentenced to two years in prison.
By being the one to call for the women’s release, Medvedev, who has cultivated the image of a more liberal leader, could allow Putin to put the uncomfortable case behind him while not appearing weak.
The outward appearance of the women, who perform in bright-colored miniskirts and balaclavas, and the “hysteria” accompanying them made him sick, Medvedev said with disdain. But he said keeping them in prison any longer would be “unproductive.”
“In my view, a suspended sentence would be sufficient, taking into account the time they have already spent in custody,” he said during a televised meeting with members of his United Russia party in the city of Penza. READ FULL STORY »
Sep 10
2012
12:18 PM ET
'Free Pussy Riot Fest' held in Russia despite government pressure
Image Credit: Sergey Ponomarev/AP
A music festival to support jailed members of the Russian band Pussy Riot went forward despite official pressure to cancel it, organizers said Monday.
Olga Kurnosova said city officials had tried to force her to stop Sunday’s show in St. Petersburg — President Vladimir Putin’s hometown — and firefighters had threatened to close down the Glavklub hall, claiming safety violations ahead of the concert.
About 1,000 people attended the “Free Pussy Riot Fest” headlined by the Russian rock protest bands DDT and Televizor, whose songs have long riled Soviet authorities and Putin’s Kremlin. READ FULL STORY »
Sep 7
2012
03:01 PM ET
Members of Pussy Riot release a video for fans, supporters
By now you know the story, or have at least read the headlines: three members of Russia’s feminist punk group Pussy Riot were sentenced to two years in prison for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.” In layman terms, that means they protested Putin’s administration with the recitation of a “punk prayer.” The convicted members are awaiting a decision on their appeal, but in the meantime the rest of the band shot a video that denounces Putin and thanks the musicians – including Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers – that have spoken out on their behalf. The masked musicians also shout cries for freedom and burn Putin in effigy – suffice it to say they’re not extending an olive branch.
Aug 28
2012
05:21 PM ET
Pussy Riot appeals conviction
Image Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/Getty Images
The Pussy Riot saga rages on.
Roughly a week after Russian women Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were sentenced to two years in prison for hooliganism, a lawyer representing the trio has applied for an appeal.
The women’s imprisonment, sparked by their “punk prayer” protest of Vladimir Putin at a church altar in Moscow, seems unlikely to be overruled, defense lawyer Nikolai Polozov conceded to Reuters. ”If the court abides by the law it would throw out the verdict,” he said. “But being realists, understanding all the efforts the state has put into this case, we think it’s unlikely the verdict will be overturned.”
However, Polozov has his fingers crossed for shortened or conditional sentences, though even that looks to be a pipe dream given that the Russian media and government have reacted defensively to the harsh negative criticism coming from other corners of the world. As the imprisoned Samutsevich told the Guardian, ”Our verdict shows just how scared Putin’s regime is of anyone who can undermine its legitimacy,”
Since the situation looks pretty dire for them back in Russia, it might be wise for the currently unjailed, on-the-lam members of the Pussy Riot collective to keep running.
Aug 27
2012
09:07 AM ET
Two Pussy Riot members flee Russia to escape arrest
Two members of the punk band Pussy Riot have fled Russia to avoid prosecution for a protest against Vladimir Putin that sent three of their band mates to prison, the group said Sunday.
Five members of the feminist group took part in a provocative performance inside Moscow’s main cathedral in February to protest the Russian leader’s rule and his cozy relationship with the Orthodox Church. The women wore their trademark garishly colored balaclavas, which made it difficult for police to identify them, and only three were arrested.
After a controversial trial that highlighted Putin’s crackdown on dissent since he began a third presidential term in May, the three band members were convicted of hooliganism and sentenced to two years in prison on Aug. 17. Days later, Moscow police said they were searching for the other band members, an apparent warning to the group to stop its anti-Putin protests.
Even as the judge was reading the verdict in a Moscow courtroom, one of the band members who had escaped arrest played Pussy Riot’s latest song, “Putin sets the fires of revolutions,” from the balcony of an apartment building across the street.
Pussy Riot tweeted on Sunday that the two activists had fled Russia and are “recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new protest actions.” No mention was made of where they went.
At least 12 other members of the group remain in Russia, another message on Twitter said.
Read more:
Pussy Riot release new song ‘Putin Lights Up the Fires’ after sentencing
Pussy Riot trio guilty of ‘hooliganism’, sentenced to two years in prison
Madonna expresses hope for leniency toward imprisoned Russian rockers
Aug 17
2012
03:52 PM ET
Pussy Riot release new song 'Putin Lights Up the Fires' after sentencing
Image Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/Getty Images
Russian punk band Pussy Riot released a new song after members of the group were sentenced to two years in prison today for staging an anti-Russian President Vladimir Putin performance in February.
Feminist rockers Maria Alyokhina, 24, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22 were found guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” for performing the song “Virgin Mary, Put Putin Away” at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In addition to attacking the Russian president, the song also targets “the Church’s praise of rotten dictators,” according to this translation.
Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, and the Beastie Boys are just some of the artists that have voiced their support for the band.
Listen to “Putin Lights up the Fires,” edited to a montage of footage of the band and its supporters, at The Guardian.
Aug 17
2012
09:05 AM ET
Pussy Riot trio guilty of 'hooliganism', sentenced to two years in prison
A Moscow judge sentenced three members of the provocative punk band Pussy Riot to two years in prison each on hooliganism charges on Friday following a trial that has drawn international outrage as an emblem of Russia’s intolerance of dissent. The trial sparked a wave of protests around the world in support of the feminist rockers, who have been dubbed prisoners of conscience by international rights group. Hundreds of Pussy Riot supporters chanted “Russia without Putin!” amid a heavy police presence outside the courtroom, and several opposition leaders were detained.
The three were arrested in March after a guerrilla performance in Moscow’s main cathedral, high-kicking and dancing while singing a “punk prayer” pleading the Virgin Mary to save Russia from Vladimir Putin, who was elected to a third new term as Russia’s president two weeks later.
Judge Marina Syrova said in her verdict that the three band members “committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred” and offended religious believers. She rejected the women’s arguments that they were protesting the Orthodox Church’s support for Putin and didn’t want to hurt the feelings of believers.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich stood in handcuffs in a glass cage in the courtroom for three hours as the judge read the verdict. They smiled sadly at the testimony of prosecution witnesses accusing them of sacrilege and “devilish dances” in church. The three women remained calm after the judge announced the sentence. Someone in the courtroom shouted “Shame!” READ FULL STORY »
Aug 8
2012
11:37 AM ET
Madonna concert in Russia threatened, U.S. Embassy responds
Image Credit: MIKHAIL METZEL/AFP/GettyImages
Madonna has made a career out of pushing buttons and poking at hornets’ nests, but her latest piece of controversy goes far beyond flashing her naughty bits, mucking with Nazi imagery, or deflecting catty barbs from Elton John.
In the wake of Madonna’s support for imprisoned Russian punk band Pussy Riot (who are currently on trial for staging a protest and criticizing Vladimir Putin), the U.S. Embassy in Russia has encouraged fans attending Thursday’s show in St. Petersberg to be extra vigilant and alert following credible threats of violence. READ FULL STORY »
Jul 31
2012
07:17 PM ET
Beastie Boys, Sting, and Madonna among musicians coming out in support of jailed Russian band Pussy Riot
Image Credit: Natalia Kolesnikova/Getty Images
This one’s a doozy, so let’s start from the top.
Pussy Riot, a feminist-punk outfit in Russia that has become famous for donning colorful ski masks and staging activist-minded performances in public, have gone from rock rebels to political prisoners of the state. (There songwriting and performances tend to focus a number of issues, most often government oppression and women’s rights.)
Their crime? Criticizing Vladimir Putin — the man who has more or less been in control of the country since 1999.
Putin’s camp has always been rather wary of the women in Pussy Riot, but things hit a boiling point last February, when the band took to the altar of Russia’s main church, Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral, and held an impromptu “punk prayer service” that included chants like “Mother Mary, put Putin away.”
Someone did end up getting put away, but it wasn’t Putin: PR members Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, were arrested and charged with “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility,” and their trial began Monday in Moscow.
They face up to seven years in prison.
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