Tag: Pussy Riot

June 5, 2013 - The punk rock, activist "art collective" Pussy Riot is the focus of a new film by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorvokin titled "Pussy Riot - A Punk Prayer". The documentary explores what is really going on with the arrest and jailing of three women in Russia, who were merely exercising the right of free speech. The film has had great reviews and acceptance, and won a World Cinema Jury Prize from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The film is a six-month journey into the lives of the three women, Nadya, Masha and Katia and their ordeal with the Russian justice system facing charges of "hooliganism" after performing a 40-second free speech action at the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. The church lobbied heavily with the Putin government to come down hard on the girls, and they all 3 ended up with prison time. Their predicament has garnered worldwide attention, and has sent shock waves reverberating through Russia.

Nadya has been freed on appeal, but the other two remain jailed. In fact, there is a new law unofficially called the "Pussy Riot Law" that just passed, that will make the penalties even stiffer if someone else tries this in the future. The new "Pussy Riot Law" calls for one year in jail and a fine of $300,000 rubles ($9,400 US) for "public actions expressing clear disrespect for society and committed with intent to offend the religious feelings of the faithful." If one does it in a house of worship, the penalties get even worse.

Check out an interview with the filmmakers on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart the other night below (fast forward to end), the direct link is here. Also, check out the movie's website here to see the trailer and learn more about the film. Apparently Vladmir Putin likes Dire Straights, so we need to get Mark Knopfler to come out in support of the girls and say, "Free Pussy Riot!", and maybe Putin will pardon them. So Mark, please come out in support of freeing Pussy Riot!

APR 9, 2013 - Russian musical-activist Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, from Pussy Riot, gave an interview to the Guardian UK and vowed to continue her activism and fight on. She is finishing her two-year sentence for "hooliganism" after performing a "can-Can" dance and anti-Putin song in the Russian Orthodox Church. Speaking in a phone interview from a Mordovia prison camp Nadezhda said, "the government wants us to recognise our guilt, which of course we won't do. I submitted the parole documents to show that they cannot break a person."  (photo credit: CC/Igor Muhkin)

Read more on Guardian UK here. 
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MAR 5, 2013 - KMFDM, an awesome activist band that was spawned in Germany in 1984, has released a cool activist song in support of Pussy Riot. Their BIO says, "KMFDM pioneered the crossover between techno/dance and heavy metal with their signature industrial sound." You can check out the band at their website HERE, and listen to the "Pussy Riot" track from their new album below.  (Photo credit: KMFDM.net)

OCT 10, 2012 - Yekaterina Samutsevich, one member of the punk music activist band "Pussy Riot" that has been imprisoned for a free speech action at the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, was freed yesterday after she unexpectedly won her appeal. Her two other bandmates remain in prison, and JTMP calls for their release also.  Some are saying that her changing her lawyers, whom supposedly Putin didn't like, had something to do with her release. Read more on WaPo here.

SEP 21, 2012 - Burma's (or "Myanmar's) Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been a champion of democracy and free speech in her country, is currently on a US tour, meeting with President Barack Obama and others. During a recent Town Hall event by Amnesty International, she defended Pussy Riot and called for their release saying, "I don't see why people should not sing whatever they want to sing."  Read more about it on NBC News, and watch the entire Town Hall video and Take Action on Amnesty International's website by going here.