In a release from the Associated Press:
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called for three members of the punk band Pussy Riot to be freed, saying further prison time would be “unproductive.”
Medvedev’s comments on Wednesday could signal the band members’ imminent release as their case comes up for appeal on Oct. 1.
The women had already spent more than five months in jail when they were convicted in August of “hooliganism driven by religious hatred” and sentenced to two years in prison.
September 12, 2012 at 4:35 pm, Sheila Long said:
Yes!
September 12, 2012 at 4:41 pm, John Huntington said:
Good! Shouldn't have been arrested in the first place!
September 12, 2012 at 5:03 pm, Dominique Gonzales said:
Well it's about time.
September 14, 2012 at 6:28 pm, Andras Sz said:
LOL i dare you to do the same in a major church in the US
we see about that freedom of speech get you out of that
September 12, 2012 at 4:46 pm, André Coutinho said:
Free pussy!
September 14, 2012 at 12:47 am, Glenn William Wall said:
Idot!
September 12, 2012 at 4:49 pm, Chad Merritt said:
Once they're released they need to flee Russia too.
September 14, 2012 at 12:38 am, Glenn William Wall said:
You have missed their point! Pussy Riot is a collective and as some are jailed others have taken their place…educate your self…they could of run away but refused to be cowered that is their crime!
September 15, 2012 at 11:59 pm, Andras Sz said:
from what ? and who will free the USA ?
September 12, 2012 at 4:54 pm, Bmf Effects said:
Well it's about time!
September 12, 2012 at 4:54 pm, Neil Horner said:
Best news today xxx
September 12, 2012 at 5:21 pm, Richard Doesitoffendyouyeah said:
Yessssssssss great news!
September 12, 2012 at 5:35 pm, Chelsi Wanderingathome said:
Yay! They need to stay safe though. Trust no one!
September 12, 2012 at 5:40 pm, Jessie Mendoza said:
What's this pussy riot
September 14, 2012 at 1:03 am, Glenn William Wall said:
It is a collective of 30 women who stand against the corruption of their democracy in Russia 4 have been jail for their protest over the corruptioning of the Russia Church by Putin…they have been wearing knited hoods to cover their faces as an sign of defiance against the Putin forces they have been bashed threatened with guns pepper sprayed and any and all you can think of they formed 5 or so years ago and produce tapes for WWW and U-tube.
September 12, 2012 at 5:41 pm, Liam Bean said:
Good! This means they won. They won the point, they won the right, and they shamed the Russian government for favoring one freedom over another.
September 12, 2012 at 5:59 pm, Danny Owen-Kohutek said:
Hmmm, they were in jail for 5 months since this August?
September 12, 2012 at 6:50 pm, Lizzbeth Tamburri said:
They were convicted in August but were arrested in March. Hence the 5 months.
September 12, 2012 at 6:07 pm, Dawn One-Hammond said:
I knew it! The gov't was attempting to "save face" by convicting them.Not that it worked.
September 13, 2012 at 5:46 pm, Stig Rune Pedersen said:
Yes and now they have realized lol and plan to try another strategy that is more "productive".
September 14, 2012 at 12:46 am, Glenn William Wall said:
No they where attempting to cower the Collective called "Pussy Riot" and they could not shoot them as they have other mostly reporters who shine the light on Putin corruption and dark dealings….it was to shut them up but we refused to allow this and as the web heated up so we got into the mainstream media who then got "Media sluts" to speak out against it.Any way keep sharing and typing but please understand Pussy riot is a collective of over 30 very brave women (Thier musics shit by the way.)
September 12, 2012 at 6:10 pm, Lissette Cee said:
It was "unproductive" of them to throw them in jail in the first place!
September 12, 2012 at 6:43 pm, Chris McAndrew said:
Am I just blind, or does it not actually say they're being released? It just says Medvedev wants them freed.
September 12, 2012 at 8:28 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
exactly. but it's a good move. or looks like..
September 12, 2012 at 6:59 pm, Colin 父 Hayward said:
Glad to hear it; I hope this doesn't stop them fighting the liars and thieves. 99%
September 12, 2012 at 7:01 pm, Malcolm Vella said:
Awesome!
September 12, 2012 at 7:05 pm, Darius Shojaei said:
A waste of 5 months.
September 12, 2012 at 7:06 pm, Darius Shojaei said:
We have killers and robbers getting out of jail in the US faster than that.
September 12, 2012 at 7:09 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
I love how all the people in the comments are westerners, not to say that I'm unhappy with Pussy Riot being allowed to appeal, but what you people have to understand is that they knew what was going to happen to them… I mean they purposefully attempted to provoke the Russian government, and got what was coming to them. Try reading the legislature by which they were convicted; hooliganism, and you will plainly see that they were indeed breaking all of the laws of public behavior. The western media's feverish coverage of their process seems more like another attempt to sling dirt at a non-anglosaxon culture, or can even be interpreted as post cold war paranoia. What I'm trying to say is that you should educate yourselves on the issue before passing judgement on cultures that are known to you.
September 12, 2012 at 7:24 pm, Mette Myllynen said:
Agreed :p
September 12, 2012 at 7:31 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
the orthodox church in russia is a break. it's old, it's corrupted and it's far from reality. and it's not the whole russia, no! and not all the people in russia think like you. so, don't worry about the people, you are not the god to make them think the way you want.
September 12, 2012 at 7:38 pm, Sharon Vincent Mitchell said:
I'm sure lots of protesters know what could happen in the fight for the freedom to express yourself.
September 12, 2012 at 7:55 pm, Tj Barnes said:
Dude what happened to the drunk Russian I used to hangout with u had to go and get smart
September 12, 2012 at 8:09 pm, Cathal O'Madagain said:
the fact that I don't live in Russia doesn't mean I can't have an opinion about whether Russians can be harmed in the same way I can. Sticking up for Pussy Riot is simply expressing the view that they are being wronged; Russians can be harmed in just the same way as non-Russians…
September 12, 2012 at 8:18 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
@bender yes the orthodox church is old and corrupt and yada yada, but if you look at statistics in Russia believers in the orthodox faith number less than 12%, and while a little PR can go a long way as in the case or Pussy Riot, it is far from an actual problem in the country. @cathal o'madagain, it is not your not living in Russia that clouds your judgement, but the "civilized world's" love of bringing their own norm and views and forcefully applying them to places that have neither need nor want of them. A perfect example of this is what happened, and is still happening in post-colonial Africa, and if that's not a lesson for westerners in meddling i don't know what is.
September 12, 2012 at 8:18 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
Sharon Vincent Mitchell provocation is not the same as freedom of expression
September 12, 2012 at 8:30 pm, Ana Sophia said:
I always had the impression it was part of the deal for them. Kind of like when rappers go to jail for doing some hood shit and then the press unwillingly ends up glamourising it.
September 12, 2012 at 8:38 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
and as a finall point, i would like to say that i was at their conviction in late august, and apart from me and my mate, the only other people present were the girl's friends and the media, so apart from shooting a tremendous amount of breeze around, do any or you people actually care? or is it that you just need something to talk about?
September 12, 2012 at 8:39 pm, Hubert Gawrys said:
seems like you do not understand WHY they did what they did…
paranoia? are you allright?
September 12, 2012 at 8:41 pm, Ana Sophia said:
Also,
1. had they not been convicted, that would have disproved much of their philosophy about the government. them being jailed serves them an ideological favour by proving their point. this is what revolutionaries do, not giving a fuck and valuing their ideological convictions to the point of putting their well-being aside. and fucking with the system to make it fuck them back.
2. they ARE guilty of hooliganism. it's like, I dunno, someone going to jail for not paying their fines because they think their fines should not be so high. there's no room for "should" in the legal system, and as harsh as it might seem it would be a lot worse if there were grey areas in the law.
September 12, 2012 at 8:41 pm, Chris Squire said:
Actually, Peter, it's quite rude to assume that we aren't educated on the subject. Yes, of course I understand they knew what was going to happen to them. All the more reason to admire them. I think it was a clever hand they played.
September 12, 2012 at 8:45 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
also, what exactly were they protesting against? Protest for the sake of protest, without offering a feasible plan, or at least a stable ideology, is nothing more than an attempt at creating opposition in a country that right no needs to focus on other things than freedom of speech, like maybe pulling its industry from the gutter, or revitalizing the culture that was destroyed after 2 revolutions in the past century.
September 12, 2012 at 8:47 pm, Outi Salovaara said:
Not all Russian lawyers think it was hooliganism at all.
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/news/58750.html
September 12, 2012 at 8:50 pm, Ana Sophia said:
actually, this is a typical case of art school punk bitches just doing their thang.
September 12, 2012 at 8:51 pm, Hubert Gawrys said:
you really don't understand
September 12, 2012 at 8:55 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
Петр Колпаков, i agree about the problems, shaking russia today – as any other country. however the good thing about PR is they show us, how enormously big these problems are. and it's a very big and truly important thing.
someone said on the concert on sep, 9 for all political prisoners in st.petersburg: "we are living in the weirdest time. once you vote for obvious, common things, you find yourself, making politics".
September 12, 2012 at 8:56 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
yup, people forget the over educated minority)) funny thing is, that the majority of people over here have completely not given a fuck about this at all. Well I mean, apart from a few who have nothing else of import to say for themselves, and wanna latch on to some "cause". Anyway, they changed nothing apart form making a name for themselves, and whats funny is that knowing russia i wouldn't be surprised if in a year or two they show up on some talk show and make a spectacle of themselves)) but ye, in conclusion, i love my country, but as a poster i say last week said. "Russia, my love; my burden"
September 12, 2012 at 9:07 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
well, this is hooliganism from the government prospective. it's obvious. and this is the reason why it happens that way. but the most ironic thing is when you are against a dictatorship or against any dirty politicions, your actions are always hooliganism from their point of view.
September 12, 2012 at 9:09 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
Muzhik, ya ne otrecau shto oni visupali protiv provitelstva, NO, vopros, a esli ubrat pravitelstvo, to sto po vashemu proizoidet? Vse mi vdug v capitalisti4iskuyu utopiu popadem? ili nazad v 90tie vernemsa?
September 12, 2012 at 9:14 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
in other words, if anyone has any idea at all on how to solve Russia's problems, please come forward, we need someone like you, but shouting in a church is neither constructive, nor will it give you anything apart form notoriety. but please, tell me how does removing Putin solve corruption?
September 12, 2012 at 9:26 pm, Dennis Cory Crosby said:
Yeah, turns out, speaking out against things like Russia having no human rights laws will result in you being persecuted on behalf of there not being any.
September 12, 2012 at 9:34 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
once again, let me restate. human rights, and provocation are different. hows about you go run into whatever administrative building, cultural centre, or house of worship is nearest to you and do a performance insulting pretty much everything that that institution stands for, and see how fast you get arrested? Or go film on private property, the result is the same, if you fuck with things that you shouldn't you get burned. Its as simple as that, and this is coming from someone who believes in leftist politics, but seriously, they weren't doing anything any average person would do, and therefore what rights have been broken? the right to break laws? well that was never a right to begin with, so this whole situation is fucking hilarious to look at. Climb out of your box people, there is more than one way to think in this world.
September 12, 2012 at 9:55 pm, Sharon Vincent Mitchell said:
Peter Kolpakov, why did they issue this statement ? >>>Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has called for three members of the punk band Pussy Riot to be freed, saying further prison time would be “unproductive.”<<< if it's such an awful crime that you claim it to be?
September 12, 2012 at 9:58 pm, Sharon Vincent Mitchell said:
Peter Kolpakov actually I don't really care.
September 12, 2012 at 10:06 pm, Leslie Szamosvari said:
Like it or not, the world's people are becoming one. Call it globalization or what you like.
September 12, 2012 at 11:00 pm, Anya Morlan said:
Educated, non-Westerner… While there may have been legislature against hooliganism, the "religious hatred" that allowed for such a harsh sentence was clearly manufactured BS used to placate the state and religious extremists (plenty of those in Russia!). And there would have been more non-Western media coverage if only our fair and free country allowed it
September 12, 2012 at 11:46 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
you're right. i have no answer. but it doesn't mean, that we should watch tv, eat pop-corn and nothing more. putin and co count on this.
we need to do something with that. we can't just wait until they bury us and our kids.
yes, pussy riot have chosen the way not too comfortable and gentle. it's rude and even shocked for someone. but they did it to get our attention, to say: "something's wrong in our country!"
and i respect their courage. i wouldn't do that. and lots of us wouldn't do that. but someone should!
September 12, 2012 at 11:53 pm, Ben Young said:
Of course the West is hypocritical – look how it cracked down on the Occupy movement. But that doesn't mean that Russia isn't a highly authoritarian state with an outdated and ineffectual justice system and systematic repression of political dissent and political assassinations of those who do create trouble for the authorities – Anna Politkovskaya, Alexander Litvinenko etc
September 12, 2012 at 11:54 pm, Dan Steinberg said:
Dumbest comment I have read in a LONG time. Some human values transcend cultures, like freedom of expression. Bad laws should be disrespected and protested. Pussy Riot deserves praise for having the courage to challenge the absurd "hooliganism" law. Provoking the government with protest speech is a natural inherent right of all people.
September 13, 2012 at 12:49 am, Vanessa Maria said:
I think many people know what the law is and what it states. The issue is the law is unjust. There have been countless unjust laws overturned due to public outcry and a movement that calls for change.
September 13, 2012 at 2:07 am, Rachel Scott said:
Ever heard of Rosa Parks? Yeah, she did that on purpose also. She knew she was going to get arrested for it. Did it change the world as we know it? Absolutely.
September 13, 2012 at 3:06 am, Christy Brown said:
I appreciate this comment. But I wouldn't worry too much about dirt slinging. From my perspectives, it's just American youth/punk culture excited for some kindred spirits.
September 13, 2012 at 5:44 am, Phillip Marx said:
At least with the American media, I think they misrepresented this in two important aspects. First of all, they portray people going inside a building and disrupting business there as being the same as peacefully protesting on the sidewalk outside of the building. Secondly, they totally disregard the fact that even protesting on the sidewalk can now get people here imprisoned for long periods of time and fined heavily. So yes, Peter, the western media's handling of this was comical.
That being said, I have to wonder if anyone outside of Russia or even many people inside Russia would have even heard of them if all they did was protest peacefully on the sidewalk. I suppose this question would be directed at the integrity or Russia's own media, something I admittedly know little about. So perhaps you can inform on this, Peter. If you have a political message in Russia that is not supported by those already in power, how would you go about sharing this message with others?
September 13, 2012 at 5:52 am, Phillip Marx said:
And I certainly agree with your main point, Peter, about the problem with people (it is not just westerners who do this) applying their own cultural norms when viewing others who they really know little about. But seriously, are you saying that a guy from another country can't express a valid opinion unless he spends a couple thousand bucks to fly there and attend the trial in person?
September 13, 2012 at 7:52 am, Peter Kolpakov said:
Phillip Marx, you speak sense, and I agree that something should change. My goal was to create a little provocation of my own, and it seems to have worked. I mean look at miss "do you know rosa parks" up there, you have to admit that's pretty funny)) but on a serious note, this is a incredibly complicated issue, and while i understand the views most of you have on "freedom" i would like to point out that your opinion, while valid is only an opinion. some might say that what Russia needs is another totalitarian regime, and that that would stop the corruption, this may be shocking to some of you, but if you take a look at Russian history it has worked in the past (Ivan the terrible, Peter the great, Stalin). this is not a view i share but it highlights the point I'm making; there is more than one approach. The ridiculous corruption in Russia is coincidentally a direct result of western ideas prevailing against the USSR's and were kindled in the rubble left after the Perestroika. Lastly, not being a politician, i do not presume to propose drastic change, not knowing hot to go about it. My personal opinion is that we should wait, and that things will slowly get better with this generation, or the next, if there is one thing that Russian people do well, its wait through shitty periods with gritted teeth, and we will continue. Things are looking up, every time i come back for 3-4 months i see forward movement, but this is a slow and difficult process. People will always be displeased, but to be honest, the current system is not so stifling as many of you think. As in any other country, through hard work, perseverance, and an education, you can succeed. sitting about pissing in the wind also gets the same results as anywhere.
September 13, 2012 at 8:06 am, Phillip Marx said:
Well, we are all products of our own environment. So maybe the apprehension about making incremental steps in Russia from some of the westerners is a reflection of our own realization that after setting back for so long and letting the politicians run their natural course here, things have just gotten worse – much worse!
As for Rosa Parks, I can see some similarity in that she (and many others in that movement) did more than stand on the sidewalks holding signs. But keep in mind that their disruptive practices were always done with utmost respect and dignity, wearing suits, just setting quietly and going peacefully when the police arrested them. Maybe the lesson to learn for protestors everywhere is that you can either be rude or disruptive, but not both at the same time.
Finally, regarding your own provacative techniques, that is certainly something I can appreciate. It sure gets the conversation going better than a more reserved response – as evidenced by this thread! Thanks for the response.
September 13, 2012 at 8:19 am, Peter Kolpakov said:
always a pleasure))
September 13, 2012 at 11:28 am, Alex Vorobiev said:
agreed. If some skinheads break into your house while you are eating dinner and start jumping on the table screaming nazi slogans, would you have them arrested or accept that "it's their freedom of expression"? I don't think so. They knew what they were doing and how it would end. If they sang against the opposition they would have been arrested just the same. I'm am very concerned about this trend. Being against Putin or any government in the world for that matter does NOT give you a free pass on being an ass or a criminal. In monarchies, such as GB or NL, it is punishable to deface the image of the queen.
September 13, 2012 at 1:32 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
@Alex Vorobiev. so you don't want to be bothered. you agree with everything. you are a happy man. my congratulations!
you deprecate pussy riot – they disturbed a dozen of faithfuls in a church. lots of passengers deprecate lufthansa – why this strike happened exactly the time, when they were going to fly! and lots of people were bothered when "bolotnaya street" meeting happened – a lot of noise, trash on a street, shouts, yelling, screams, no way to cross the street. and lots of people were bothered in august 1991 – explosions! tanks! soldiers! "no my favorite show on tv!"
you know the phase from a very polular russian movie: "yes, i'm a surgeon. i often have to hurt people to make their life better." our society needs to be hurt to live better. we need those people, that bother us to open our eyes and ears, to show us what shit we are living in.
September 13, 2012 at 4:43 pm, Rachael Vinyard said:
Directly challenging stupid laws is how those stupid laws get changed.
September 13, 2012 at 5:13 pm, Beth Myhr said:
Based on Russian history, Pussy Riot is taking the traditional route against power. That they're being released instead of killed is a very good sign of Russian political health.
September 13, 2012 at 5:15 pm, Wat Walter Tyler said:
Injustice is injustice, regardless of nation or culture. The law is not the be all and end all. If a law is unjust and a threat to free speech, it is perfectly moral to break it.
September 13, 2012 at 5:23 pm, Robert Curran Haines said:
Peter wrote "the "civilized world's" love of bringing their own norm and views and forcefully applying them to places that have neither need nor want of them."
What makes you so sure that those places "neither need nor want…them"? I know it's the PC credo, but it simply isn't true that all cultures are equivalent. A culture that allows personal freedoms and safeguards civil rights is superior to one that suppresses them. I challenge you to demonstrate how a culture that criminalizes homosexuality and denies freedom of speech is somehow equivalent to one that does not.
September 13, 2012 at 5:35 pm, Rina Liddle said:
Or, um, yes, of course they did know what they were doing, and of course any half-wit person knows the laws in Russia. So yes, the members of Pussy Riot fully knew what was coming, the fact that you feel you need to point that fact out seems asinine to me, and perhaps you didn't get the point. Bloody hell, how do you think the world changes for the better, exactly?! Just because it's legal doesn't make it right, and yes, when people's basic human rights are being withheld, it is my business.
September 13, 2012 at 5:41 pm, Stig Rune Pedersen said:
They provoked the Russian government to show how it abuses it's power. Of course they knew Putin would abuse power once again arm in arm with the church, otherwise there is no reason for Pussy riot to exist. They a revolutionaries and you need one just like many others countries also across the board in the west. The point is to keep them peaceful, and that is what Pussy Riot is doing. There are no arms and gun powder behind their power.Their power is only expressed in their arguments and how it is presented. If your government had true courage they would stick to the same strategy and not resort to the ridiculousness of stealing away the opponents freedom by putting him in jail on trumped up charges. That was the way of the Soviet Union and you have grown beyond that.
September 13, 2012 at 5:53 pm, Mark Stern said:
Peter, not all laws are just and some have been in place for 100's of years and do not apply to modern days. Times change, people change and laws need to be changed as well to reflect the society in which they govern. Pussy Riot did know what was going to happen to them, yes, but what they set out to accomplish was to be heard and they succeeded. I think it's the Russian government and the people who adhere to their rules are the ones who are getting the attention, and obviously don't like it.
September 13, 2012 at 5:54 pm, April Luebbert said:
It's called civil disobedience in the hope that being arrested will enact a change in law that is seen to be unjust.
September 13, 2012 at 6:28 pm, Edward Wong said:
Looking at Article 213 of the Russian Criminal Code, para 1 defines hooliganism as 'a GROSS violation of the public order which expresses patent contempt for society, ATTENDED BY VIOLENCE against private persons or by the threat of its use, and likewise by the DESTRUCTION OR DAMAGE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY.'
With respect, how are these 'plainly' all broken?
September 13, 2012 at 6:57 pm, Wendy Murdoch said:
There is little doubt that the members of Pussy Riot were aware of the potential consequences. There is also little doubt that, they intended to inspire global dialogue about President Putin's political ideologies/practices and that, regardless of culture, those ideologies/practices fly in the face of human rights. Every political figure, every government is accountable to the global community. President Putin has much to account for.
September 13, 2012 at 8:03 pm, Ian Nix said:
Fuck you.
September 13, 2012 at 9:03 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
buddy, you got the whole freedom of speech thing wrong))
I spent today discussing with my friends and people I meet in moscow aobut their view on the subject, and what i got from 80%of them is either i dont care, or that shit pissed me off, in the why shit on peoples religions kinda way. like i said this IS a problem in russia, but it is far from being even in the top 10 issues that we need to solve. another thing is that its easy to judge from afar, come to russia, live here, meet the people, then scream about freedoms
September 13, 2012 at 10:14 pm, Charles Noseworthy said:
Don't frame this as cultuural misunderstanding. They annoyed Putin, plain and simple. They may be released now because Putin is a little embarassed because his autocratic one man rule has been highlighted. It has nothoing to do with religion or the non existant rule of "law" in Russia.
September 13, 2012 at 11:28 pm, Phillip Marx said:
Peter, you really do need to listen to what us Americans have to say about freedom. Remember, we are the freest country that ever was, is or will be on the face of this earth. Now I realize you might be a bit confused by the fact that our Presidenty now declares he has the right to randomly classify Americans as terrorists, to indefinitely detain or summarily execute them without charging them with a crime or allow them to defend themselves against their accusers, and defies a federal court injunction telling him what he is doing is unconstitutional. But you are not an American, so you really don't understand. We are free because we say we are free, and the fact that our own government is moving quickly to become what yours was during it's darkest days is completely irrelevant. So the Russians must strive to be what we say we are, even though we strive to be what we say you should not be. Hope that clarifies things a bit.
September 13, 2012 at 11:30 pm, Roger Nehring said:
Kolpakov, the Westerners are responding in this way because, unlike you, apparently, thay value free speech and the right to criticize government.
September 13, 2012 at 11:33 pm, April Luebbert said:
Actually we are not the freest but we are close.
September 14, 2012 at 12:26 am, Kit Kimberly said:
Yes, it's called Civil Disobedience and it's one of the foundations of a democratic state.
The problem, as Howard Zinn put it, is not Civil Disobedience, but Civil OBEDIENCE to oppressive laws and regimes.
Too bad US Americans don't get as excited about US dissidents being arrested and jailed.
September 14, 2012 at 12:32 am, Caroline Casey said:
Wow, "hooligan,"comes from an Irish Musical Comedy family. We <3 hooligans. They were brilliantly, on behalf of all beings really, directing attention to the dangerous theocracy growing in Russia….and everywhere. Dissolve all fictions of national boundaries, we are global kin deicated to well-being of all. Yip-Yip! (really from someone who calls himself "gangsta." Perfect satire.
September 14, 2012 at 12:34 am, Glenn William Wall said:
I have supported Pussy Riot for years and we in the west and east also have been arrested for protesting this thing in front of you is our weapon which is why they are after it and want to shut it down! Russia, Egypt any were in the world we can reach and do we support each other be it Gaza Youth who are arrest by Hamas of blogger in Egypt….one thing corrupt thugs hate is the light we shine on them and their thuggery. ONE WORLD ONE PLANET ….or have you missed the world wide up risings via OCCUPY? Any were any time we the world are watching it is not any Government it is the people of the WORLD WIDE WEB just because your lot has been cowered in dressed in red jackets does not mean FREEDOM can be suppressed or doctored.
September 14, 2012 at 12:37 am, Kit Kimberly said:
" so apart from shooting a tremendous amount of breeze around, do any or you people actually care?"
Uhm, The Plastic People of the Universe and Uz Jsme Doma in Prague held a benefit/consciousness raising concert (because Charter 77 was born out of The Plastic People getting arrested), so yes, many people actually care.
WTF?
September 14, 2012 at 12:39 am, Kit Kimberly said:
Peter Kolpakov " 80%of them is either i dont care, or that shit pissed me off, in the why shit on peoples religions kinda way. like i said this IS a problem in russia, but it is far from being even in the top 10 issues that we need to solve. "
exactly the same in the USA, mate. Ask people on the street and 9 out of 10 don't care or don't know about NDAA, drone bombing, US imperialism and militarism of "developing" nations– or say it's a good thing.
US Americans are, generally, fat, lazy and apathetic. Why do you think they let George W. Bush become president through not ONE but TWO election coups?
September 14, 2012 at 1:10 am, Robert Tombs said:
@ Peter: This is not an East versus West thing. The West is corrupt. The East is corrupt. Pussy Riot was just drawing attention to this.
September 14, 2012 at 1:46 am, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
@Петр Колпаков, you're right again. it's nothing for the most of people – not in russia only. the most part of people are passive. just one of 10, that i was talking to about it, told me: "thank you for not ignoring of what's happening in russia now". and i'm satisfied! 'cos 1 of 10 is so many! don't fool yourself with numbers – 10% means 15 million of russians! it's much more than all the government and police and army together!
and don't tell me, what russia looks like – i'm a russian, you know.
September 14, 2012 at 1:54 am, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
Caroline Casey, i agree! and, you know, i'm very happy, that we have such great people in russia as pussy riot – smart, brave and honest. it means, that we are on the right way. on the way to freedom!
September 14, 2012 at 2:42 am, Phillip Marx said:
@ Kit Kimberly
I will agree with you on the apathy part, as well as lazy – but that only when it comes to intellectual efforts. Americans work hard physically, and I have known people from all around the world who will attest to this. So please don't let the fat lazy slobs that do nothing taint your view of the rest of us.
Also, you are correct that most US Americans don't seem to even realize what is going on here. See the two comments directly following my last comment for evidence of that. And many who do see refuse to view it through anything but the outdated left-right paradigm. It's as if they don't realize handing certain powers to a president they do like will automatically carry over to a president they don't like. And those who believe in doing what's right for country seem to pale in comparison to those who believe in doing what's right for party.
Still, it is far more complex than your simple statements suggest. I voted for Bush in 2004, although I did not vote for him in 2000. And although I voted for Obama in 2008, I will not be voting for him this year. From that alone, you should see that I am no partisan hack.
And on that note, I will agree that there were some very serious questions raised in the 2000 campaign, and many of these questions were never adequately answered due to Gore's magnanimous decision to concede. However this was not the case at all in 2004. So I think you are going a bit over the top on your "coup" comment.
September 14, 2012 at 2:50 am, Ana Reyes said:
That was the point. They had the courage to challenge damaging societal conformity, while sending a strong message that was important to them, and ultimately, many people globally. There is a universal message in their protest; we all face the constant pressure to conform to whatever each persons societal majority deems "the norm", even if it is not in their best interest. I admire and felt encouraged by their brave actions.
September 14, 2012 at 2:54 am, Phillip Marx said:
And as for all you Russians reading/commenting here, I would like to hear your input about my own country's slide towards fascism. Never mind about our taxes, gay marriage, and all that stuff. I would really like to hear what you think about the President's claim that he can unilaterally declare any American to be a terrorist, and thus completely disenfranchise them of all their constitutionally protected rights, his refusal to abide by a federal court's injunction barring him from doing this, and the fact that there will likely be 30,000 unmanned drones flying over our own skies within a decade – and all of this being done with hardly any public debate.
For those who may respond, I am hoping you will put a little more effort into this than just saying "serves you bastards right." This is your chance to prove that you are not as intellectually lazy as the rest of the world (and I) think most US Americans are.
September 14, 2012 at 7:09 am, Tina Martina said:
I agree that there is a strong "the west is better" stream in the way people criticize what is happening. I still agree with Pussy Riot, but people in the west should also see that a lot of what Pussy Riot is criticizing also happens in the west, like influence of church and capital. And also there are blasphemy laws in the west as well, they might have gotten arrested for doing something like that in St. Peters Dome as well.
September 14, 2012 at 8:26 am, Peter Kolpakov said:
or, for instance, if they ran up to the wailing wall and did the same, I'm sure that getting arrested would have been getting off easy… as Tina just said, Pussy Riot are vaiant and all that, but it is not an issue unique to russia)).
September 14, 2012 at 11:26 am, Taylor Tyler said:
For me, it has nothing to do with an attempt to sling dirt at a non-anglosaxon culture. It is simply a demonstration on how completely ass backwards Russia is. Two fucking years for dancing on stage at a church? Are you out of your mind? A man has a right and an obligation to disobey unjust laws.
September 14, 2012 at 1:25 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
Ana Reyes, exactly how i think about it. this "hooliganism" is a sign – to us. to make us see, what country we live in, what time we live in and what people are around us. to make us think – is it so good as tv, newspapers and radio tell us? we need to be shocked to understand who we are.
i think many people turned to our problems because of pussy riot. and it means, that they achieved their goal.
September 14, 2012 at 1:30 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
Tina Martina, true. and probably this is the reason, why the situation around pussy riot has such a big response in the western world.
September 14, 2012 at 1:44 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
Петр Колпаков, http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2012/09/13/n_2527893.shtml. which side are you on?
September 14, 2012 at 4:10 pm, Anna Kadnikova said:
Who are you anyway? The only Russian on this planet?
September 14, 2012 at 4:20 pm, Peter Kolpakov said:
unless it is hard to notice, and i guess it is, I have chosen to remain neutral in regards to Russian politics, they are far too difficult to be to be condenced into one simple statement. I do net presume to make any political commentary, all i wanted to do is fan the flames of all you haters, something in which I have succeeded. Each country is fucked in its own way, and no one can well and truly say who is right and who is wrong. As for the march of millions, I'm happy that they are going out to march, but personally, i know that i will not be attending. It is a good dream to think that one man's voice can shift mountains, and i don't disagree but Russian politics shall remain in the grasp of the people in charge until a revolution. And I'm not sure that is the best course of action.
September 14, 2012 at 10:24 pm, William Kostric said:
"what you people have to understand is that they knew what was going to happen to them… "
Yeah, it's called civil disobedience.
"I mean they purposefully attempted to provoke the Russian government"
Yeah, it's called civil disobedience, go look it up.
"and got what was coming to them"
Fuck that and fuck you along with all who apoligize for corrupt systems. Locking humans in a cage for political speech is wrong.
"Try reading the legislature by which they were convicted; hooliganism, and you will plainly see that they were indeed breaking all of the laws of public behavior."
In our country, it was illegal for a slave to run away from his master so I guess according to you when he got caught and hung from a tree, he was just getting what was coming to him since he was breaking the law after all.
"The western media's feverish coverage of their process seems more like another attempt to sling dirt at a non-anglosaxon culture"
Uh huh. The lock artists in prison for political speech and you claim racism? Weak.
"or can even be interpreted as post cold war paranoia. What I'm trying to say is that you should educate yourselves on the issue before passing judgement on cultures that are known to you."
They are known to us. Fuck Putin. Let that bitch come and try to throw me in jail.
September 15, 2012 at 12:57 am, Peter Kolpakov said:
come! i will house you)) please
September 20, 2012 at 3:18 pm, Britta Ny said:
@Peter Kolpakov: Just because the laws exist doesnt make the laws good or right or legitimate or un-oppressive. And breaking them is a part of civil disobedience; incurring the wrath of the state is part of the strategy of the dissenters. It can be a great and effective strategy actually.
September 12, 2012 at 7:24 pm, An'itch Spinal said:
there not free pussies yet!
September 12, 2012 at 7:45 pm, Beat'n Streets said:
lets hope…. putin scared of women innit
September 12, 2012 at 8:07 pm, Илья Осипов said:
Free penis!
September 12, 2012 at 8:32 pm, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
"I want to break free.
I want to break free.
I want to break free from your lies.
You're so self satisfied, I don't need you.
I've got to break free.
God knows, God knows I want to break free".
/Queen/
September 14, 2012 at 12:54 am, Glenn William Wall said:
Glad some one knows the words they sing..=)Most of the idots on here don't understand the collective…they think they are just some band.
September 12, 2012 at 8:34 pm, Chris Stander said:
just great, great girls, people.
September 26, 2012 at 8:39 am, Zac Rubinstein said:
excellent
September 12, 2012 at 8:36 pm, Richard Clayton Christensen said:
I want to see an actual pussy riot.
September 14, 2012 at 12:51 am, Glenn William Wall said:
The ive Pussy Riot is on u-tube if you are for real and not being a troll.
September 12, 2012 at 9:14 pm, Nicole Warsome said:
Finally common sense has prevailed! Punk rock is not a crime!
September 12, 2012 at 11:31 pm, Aaron Dove said:
No, but trashing a church is a crime.
September 12, 2012 at 11:56 pm, Dan Steinberg said:
They didnt "trash" a church or anything else. They have already received a wildly excessive punishment for their very mild crime of trespassing.
September 13, 2012 at 1:09 am, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
is there any difference between a church and a bathroom? they look so equally.
September 13, 2012 at 1:09 am, Bender Zadunayskiy said:
i mean they are both full of sh..
September 13, 2012 at 7:40 pm, Mark Alexandrovich said:
Who told you pussy riot is punk rock?
September 14, 2012 at 12:35 am, Caroline Casey said:
Fact check. We <3 facts:They didn't trash a church. They sang a provocative song in a church, of which there is a long tradition.
September 14, 2012 at 12:41 am, Glenn William Wall said:
Aaron Dove their crime was shining the light on the corruption of the church and refusing to be cowered they are a collective whose aim is to expose the corruption of their system no turning away but taking it by the horns and confronting it….or did you miss the watch the head vicar was wearing a present from Putin the dictator!
September 12, 2012 at 10:09 pm, Kim Garren said:
YEEEEEEEEEEEESSS!
September 12, 2012 at 10:13 pm, Kim Garren said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot#Arrest_and_prosecution
September 12, 2012 at 11:13 pm, Kylie Elizabeth said:
One great big step forward!
September 12, 2012 at 11:19 pm, Jess Stoddard said:
They still should never have been put there in the first place! Screw you, Putin!
September 13, 2012 at 2:55 am, Manuel Silva said:
I drink to Fredom expression!
GO PUSSY'S!!
September 13, 2012 at 5:23 am, Ian Epps said:
there is quite possibly nothing true about what you just published here. How bout everyone reads the original article and ignores this one.
September 13, 2012 at 5:28 am, Ian Epps said:
if that's what to expect from Ned Hepburn's journalism, I'm disappointed. Very dishonest and misleading journalism, even from the left.
September 13, 2012 at 10:08 am, Stefanie Rixecker said:
Their release is the right response. Soon as.
September 13, 2012 at 12:10 pm, Anya Morlan said:
At some point, I believe, it does just become the issue of "living in truth."
September 13, 2012 at 1:54 pm, Monty Magike Montague said:
Yo Pete-"Natural Born Chilla at Being Straight Up Gangsta" now that is the most western-u.s.a. of terminology seen on any post. of course they knew, and that have paid the price to expose the oppression.
September 13, 2012 at 4:28 pm, Prometheus Labor said:
Good to see
September 13, 2012 at 4:41 pm, Velvet Devoe said:
Uhh…. @Peter K – While we study other cultures, you go ahead and study civil rights.
September 13, 2012 at 10:01 pm, David Rhodes said:
Perfectly concise summary! 'Human' rights refers to humanity as a whole.
September 14, 2012 at 12:41 am, Glenn William Wall said:
Thats us! LOL
September 13, 2012 at 5:08 pm, Anna Teapot Vigurs said:
Fantastic! Say's they've been in prison for 5 months though ?? 5weeks is more like it !?
September 13, 2012 at 7:27 pm, Laura Parker said:
They were on remand (ie in prison) for a few months before the trial.
September 14, 2012 at 12:49 am, Glenn William Wall said:
No 5 months and they have been abused and locked in solitary in total blackness well before it become world wide news…educate your self about the Pussy riot collective who are over 30 young women!
September 13, 2012 at 6:33 pm, Stephen Mckenzie said:
Unproductive! that's what politicians say when they get their nuts booted for them! well done international punk!
September 13, 2012 at 2:59 pm, Real Liberty Media News Blog - 2012-09-13 | Real Liberty Media said:
[...] must be petrified of RTIs Ron Paul A Domestic Terrorist? One fusion center apparently thinks soBreaking: Pussy Riot to be freed from jail | Death and TaxesGMO alert: Eating GM wheat may destroy your liver, warn scientistsLibya attack may have been planned [...]
September 13, 2012 at 7:12 pm, Steven Theunissen said:
well at least now it is clear that there is no real judicial process in Russia.
September 13, 2012 at 9:29 pm, Уильям Мюррей said:
No shit!
September 13, 2012 at 8:51 pm, Blindbaby Bluez said:
Well Well at least Medvedev has some sense! Putin has none nor any credibility…Go Girls! People Power wins the day..;-).
September 14, 2012 at 12:52 am, Glenn William Wall said:
WE CAN BUT HOPE….but first the briuses must heal.
September 13, 2012 at 10:04 pm, Jhon White said:
And still in the same place Medvedev told that he feels sick from Pussi Right and that they made….It held back.
September 13, 2012 at 10:58 pm, Jinks Curtis said:
Yes, it was absurd!
September 13, 2012 at 11:01 pm, Jhon White said:
Quote:
"Frankly speaking, me, excuse for not quite parliamentary expression, but I will tell, I feel sick and that they made, and from their external shape, and from that hysterics which accompanies everything that occurred. It is simply opposite to me to tell about it, here this my personal relation"…© D. Medvedev
September 15, 2012 at 2:58 am, Mandy Smith said:
But it does seem kind of silly. They were just another ridiculous punk band. By jailing them Putin elevated them to the status of political activists. Now he has international scrutiny. If he had just ignored them…well…we wouldn't be talking about them.
September 15, 2012 at 2:07 pm, Jhon White said:
That's just the point that Putin didn't put them in prison. On the contrary, he in every possible way separated from this process. They were put in prison by court. Officials, very much wished to please the government, and believers were very revolted… Putin just also told that on anything won't make comments to a judgment not to render pressure upon court…
The idea was in that the court passed the objective decision, without pressure from the government… Perhaps, the greatest pressure upon court appeared just from opposition and the dissatisfied press… I think that it very much irritated judges.
September 15, 2012 at 4:34 pm, Jhon White said:
If it is frank, I too consider that punishment was unduly severe. If I was a judge, would forced them to perform public works approximately for six months. Let would sweep streets, watered and weeded beds, painted borders at sidewalks… It would be more fair. Work will quicker correct hooligans and nuisancers…
Here matter in other… Simply opposition forces and mass media so "inflated" case of banal hooliganism that any softer punishment could be regarded by society, as loss of the power and a victory of opposition forces… Then all antisocial forces in the country would accept it as a sign of that "all is possible" what the perverted imaginations you wouldn't embody under the fight slogan for democracy, everything would "escape punishment"… "All is allowed", – the main thing to declare it as fight against the authorities… Officials too perfectly understood it… Deal began to gain too political character… And the opposition that so got over-excited about simple hooliganism, did "a disservice" for Pussi, practically it was sentenced girls to more strict punishment…
September 16, 2012 at 4:35 am, Mandy Smith said:
This may have been a misjudgement on the part of the judges, however, Putin is the one who gets the bad press. He should be more vocal about it. When he remains silent, he allows the press to invent their own narrative. He needs better people around him.
September 13, 2012 at 11:06 pm, Jhon White said:
http://content.foto.mail.ru/mail/moksha77/_answers/i-15.jpg
September 13, 2012 at 11:09 pm, Jhon White said:
It is one of orgies… "Pussi" carried out this action in a museum… Then they shouted in ecstasy that "give birth to a bear cub"… LOLOLOL
September 13, 2012 at 11:22 pm, Jhon White said:
Excuseme. I should explain….
Medved(ev)= Bear(son)
There on a background two persons hold a black flag with an inscription: "Let's give birth to a bear cub"…
Flashmob…
September 16, 2012 at 4:05 am, Mandy Smith said:
But, this is a ridiculous punk band…why elevate them to the status of activists by jailing them? That is what they did by jailing them. The problem lies in the administration. And Medvedev is simply trying to walk it back. I guess they decided that free speech in Russia is actually the lesser of two evils.
September 15, 2012 at 5:11 am, Forrest Franks said:
That's why people need to keep their f…. religion to themselves. They had no f…. right to put them in jail in the f…. first place. Sorry m…f….s
September 15, 2012 at 4:07 pm, Intrepid Sel said:
Hoping this is real…
September 16, 2012 at 5:30 am, Сознание Новой Волны » С НОВЫМ годом, Дорогие израильтяне! С 5773 годом… Рош аШана! said:
[...] Kremlin is afraid of the people’s protest (?) [...]
September 20, 2012 at 9:40 am, Jessica Amber Murray said:
there's an independent judiciary in russia, death and taxes. they're not communists anymore either, by the way.
October 22, 2012 at 10:06 am, Pussy Riot members now serving time at Russian gulag-style prisons | Death and Taxes said:
[...] at Russian gulag-style prisons By DJ Pangburn 1 min agoSo much for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev calling for Pussy Riot to be freed.Pussy Riot member Yekaterina Samutsevich may now be free, but her compatriots, Maria Alyokhina, [...]