Pussy Riot, Russia Punk Band, Supported By Protesters In Moscow

MOSCOW (AP) — Supporters of a female Russian punk band have picketed police headquarters in Moscow to protest the group's jailing for trying to mount an impromptu concert inside the city's main cathedral.

Handfuls of people took turns braving below-freezing temperatures outside the building Thursday and held up signs calling for the group's release.

The band, whose performers wear bright-colored homemade ski masks, entered Moscow's historic Christ the Savior Cathedral in late February and belted out a protest song against church leaders' support for then-presidential candidate Vladimir Putin. Putin won the elections in a widely criticized vote Sunday.

Pussy Riot gained notoriety in January for performing a song addressed to Putin from a spot on Red Square. Videos of the performance became an instant Internet hit.

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Comments

[Alexey Braguine]

07:23 AM on 03/10/2012

If the American financed Golos says the voting fraud detected was not enough to skew the election, that is good enough for me. However, the candidates who managed to qualify as candidates were a poor lot.

We will see how Medvedev´s reforms work.

[LMPE]

03:53 PM on 03/08/2012

This sounds like a cool band.

[timbeaux]

01:15 PM on 03/08/2012

I would LOVE to hear this band play, and not just on a bad-sound cellphone clip.

[KIVPossum]

11:12 AM on 03/08/2012

Protest the arrest - fine
Go back into Christ the Savior and get arrested again. It's private property not a venue for masked kiski

[William Diaz]

01:50 PM on 03/08/2012

Really? Yes, continued incarceration for somethng barely worhty of a citation for disturbing the peace sounds fine. Poor use of Rusian slang, too, lol.

Have a great day!

[CapSen]

10:36 AM on 03/08/2012

Brave people. Will there ever be a strong civil society in Russia? Let alone democracy?

[LMPE]

03:52 PM on 03/08/2012

The true democratization period in Russian history was 1989-1991. Then, Yeltsin used the constitutional crisis of 1993 to consolidate power, which Putin inherited. Also, the economy turned into a free-for-all in the 1990s, and it was only in the 2000s that a significant middle class arose. It's mostly been the middle class protesting the elections, since people prefer economic stability to democracy.

[CapSen]

05:19 PM on 03/08/2012

I know. But what does that hold for the future?