Pussy Riot

Members of russian feminist punk group Pussy Riot face up to 7 years jail for staging an anti Putin protest in a Moscow Cathedral.

Looks like they’ve been causing mayhem everywhere they go, in their own way, setting fire to a Catwalk, protesting on top of expensive publicity stunts, bursting into shops and provoking the rage of the church, all with knitted tea cosies on their heads.

3 members have been kept in custody for 6 months, “incommunicado” without the right to bail. They appeared in court in a cage. It is rumoured that this decision has come from the top.

Some western media are playing them up to be a threat to Putin, albeit, thru art and the inspiration that can cause.

But how far can art as protest go to influence rebellion?



Setting fire to a Catwalk

So you think that in 35 years time they'll appear on question time

Anyway, I might not always agree with john lydon, but he's rather more intetesting than most musicians of recent times

Why have you put a picture of that cunt on here?

Anyone is more interesting than musicians of recent times. My grandmother is more interesting than musicians of recent times but Johnny really fucked up when he took the cash to do a gig in Israel.

Just read about this. A bit of 'we are legion' attitude from the other girls in the band who didn't get arrested, and there'll be a live feed of the trial too.

Got a link to that?

Jello Biafra

Only this from the grauniad

They're shit, but should be released.

This whole case is interesting in the way it is highlighting the growing power of the Russian Orthodox Church and its relationship with Putin. The cathedral they chose, the Church of Chrst the Saviour, is a very important government symbol. It was chosen precisely because of this. What they did was a very bold and brave act, one designed deliberately to offend both Putin and the church. Putin's overreaction could backfire on him. Needless to add, they should be supported.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/29/pussy-riot-protest-vladimir-putin-russia

The Muscovites I was with when I visited that cathedral in 2003 wondered what the point was in rebuilding the thing. Too much money spent on it. Did this stunt really 'offend' Putin? Orthodox Christianity is seen as being a part of national identity, but there really aren't many believers flocking to church. I think it's important to point out that increasingly uncritical support for the government might have something to do with millions given, or promised in the future, for the restoration and maintenance of the Church's property.

The ultimate 'punk' action.

Hardly, It's a complete sell out. Playing fiddle to an oppressive regime that shoots children. Not punk.

In my first post I asked the question; how far can art as protest go to influence rebellion?

People seem to think that Pussy riot may influence russian history. I would like to think so but would need to see proof. There was a sort revolution in attitude in the late 70's in the Uk with punk but by 1979 we had a conservative government.

Have there been any cases in history where art protest served as a catalyst to change things historically.

One example I have considered is Otto Dix's anti nazi art. I think that at the end of the day it was so ugly that it didn't get thru to anybody and maybe was even used againsyt anti-fascists, ie the degenerate art exhibition run by the nazis where the public were encouraged to spit on works before they were burned.

as opposed to the UK, USA and pretty much every nation state on the earth.

This cultural boycott shit with Israel is dodgy as fuck, there's a fixation on Israel that is unhealthy, and ironically I don't think it stems so much from anti semitism as a perverse idea of Israeli superiority, as civilised western state it is held to a "higher standard", afterall barbarism is to be expected from the Other, no better is expected from them.

Mmm, where else can you find a state that shoots unarmed people in international waters, murders political opponents in hotel bedrooms via suffocation, shoots children, bombs UN hospitals that are clearly marked, fires shells at bathers on beaches from warships, bulldozes activists? etc, etc...

Your use of the words shit, dodgy, unhealthy and fixation seem a bit out of place given the context.

Are you involved in Israel's damage limitation campaign by any chance?

Well, that's torn it, the thread is now going to be hijacked.

TBFR they are going to have a bigger impact now they have been nicked.

Yes I support the IDF because I think the cultural boycott of Israel is fucked up, for a great many reasons, one of which I was simply pointing out was the perverse way in which it sublimates the notion of Israeli supremacy.

It depends. Lydon and co. were always about sticking up two fingers to public opinion.

http://storify.com/DazedMagazine/pussy-riot-trial

The BDS campaign is in response to a call from Palestinian civil society groups living under occupation for international solidarity. It is their call and their strategy for resistance. It is not for you or me, as individuals, to decide whether we like it or not or to decide we disagree and won't support it. It is for those of us who oppose the occupation to act in solidarity with their struggle and their call for solidarity.

Individually deciding you will break the boycott is no different to scabbing. It is in effect saying "fuck you, I know best" to a people living under military occupation who are calling for your support and solidarity. Would you have said the same to the call for a boycott of South Africa during apartheid?

The best part of all this is hearing RP-accented Radio 4 presenters say "Pussy Riot".

i dont support national liberation.

I notice a 'boycott of Russian' vodka campaign started.....

TWGW

TWGW?

This news story is an odd one, Putin seems to be upset, but the reaction is well OTT, it doesn't play out well on the world stage, Putin & indeed Russia are looking a little silly here, it'll be mildly interesting to see how it plays out.

I can't help thinking that Nadezhda Tolokonnikova is a complete honey.
Which is what got my attention

Moscow Times.

Apparently there was a bomb alert, the court was cleared for a search but the band members were left in their cages inside the courtroom

Pete Townshend, Jarvis Cocker and Neil Tennant write letter to the Times calling for their release.

This has been timed to coincide with Putin's visit to London to visit the judo at the Olympics.

Will he get the message though.?

Where are Bono and Geldof now?