Thursday 20 February 2014

Pussy Riot Provoking Thought Worldwide

           On Tuesday February 20th, the members of the punk group Pussy Riot were once again detained in Russia shortly after having been released in December after a 2 year prison sentence for “premeditated hooliganism”. Nadezdha Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina as well as ten other people were taken in for questioning regarding a theft of a
woman’s handbag that took place in the hotel in which they were staying. No charges were filed against Pussy Riot and they were released later that day.



                Tolokonnikova had said that she and other members of Pussy Riot have been constantly tailed since arriving in Sochi, but stated that they have not been active and that
they were simply walking in Sochi.  

                Since then, other members of the group were stopped by Cossack militia while they were staging an impromptu performance under a sign advertising the Sochi Olympics. Six group members were whipped and pepper-sprayed by at least ten Cossacks and other security officials. One of Pussy Riot’s famous arrestees Nadezdha Tolokonnikova was beat with a whip as she lay on the ground.

                The event itself is not as critical when compared to the larger movement that these protests symbolize. These efforts at suppression by the Russian government have been repressing Pussy Riot, as well as other activists and groups who oppose their ideologies. The growing exposure, interest, and protests concerning the Putin regime have shed light on the country in a new way, and could be on their way to provoking change; not without certain mishaps along the way though. The members of the band have said that Vladmir Putin is scared of them, and I believe that he should be.

                With Russia facing extensive criticism from all fronts, these protests are another nagging issue for Putin, and combined with all the other issues that Putin is being challenged on, mean that Russians and people all over the world will be forced to think. 


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