Image from http://blogs.independent.co.uk
Twitter was buzzing about the “Pussy Riot” with much confusion and equal support. A judge sentence the girl group to two years in prison for ‘crudely undermined social order’, after being the backbone of the protest against president Vladimir Putin. A little background on the group, the “Pussy Riot” is a Russian feminist punk-rock musical group which perform politically provocative shows in Moscow. They usually wear bright colored costumes such as tights and dresses. The whole group consists of 10 performers and 15 other people that handle everything from photo shoots to editing videos.
Three members of the group were found guilty of “hooliganism motivated is religious hatred”. The members were arrested August 17th after protesting the president. In a recently article I wrote, Madonna was just persecuted by the Prime Minister for speaking out against the hatred on the homosexual community and now the “Pussy Riot” group are condemned for the same idea.
The member’s names that were sentenced are Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich. They were really sentenced not only for this protest but also in February when they protested against the re-election of Putin in an Russian Orthodox Church. They walked into the church, bowed at an altar then began performing “Punk Prayer” which asked the Virgin Mary to “drive Putin away”. Judge Marina Syrova said that the three woman, “have deliberately placed themselves against Orthodox believers”. She then proceeded to say that they, “violated the common rules of behavior in the cathedral”. In news reports, after the judge gave the sentence supporters outside clashed with the police.
The group normally wears covers over their face to protect their identity while they perform. The speaking out has put them in the front lines of the civil rights unrest in Russia while the country has been cracking down on protests. On the same day that the “Pussy Riot” was sentenced the Moscow court upheld the “100 year ban” on Gay Pride marches in the city. Since March, when the Russian police arrest them, they have gotten international attention. Groups such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Madonna have spoken out and supported this group because they feel that the girls free speech is being taken away. Members of the German parliament sent a letter of support and Amnesty International said they are “prisoners of conscience” and proceeded to say they are at risk of being shipped off to a labor camp where they can be both physically and sexually abused. They also said that Russian politics will stop at no end to suppress its people that speak out.
