A
Acquariana
Guest
Original poster
To sum up what/who they are for those of you who don't know, Pussy Riot is a group of Russian, feminist women who use their punk music and performances to protest. While the Russian public generally stands against them, they have managed to gain international support from such people/bands as Madonna, Björk, and Sting among several others. I find the group somewhat fascinating because they've done what so few groups do today: combine politics and art. Just yesterday the court sentenced three of the group's members to two years in prison for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred." I have linked the act that supposedly warranted this charge below.
Full article for your reading pleasure
I don't think the charge nor the sentence really fit what they did. They were protesting and didn't physically harm anyone in doing so. Sure, some of the conservative church-goers might've claimed to be "physically harmed" by their words and performance, but by that logic I could claim the same when I see the Westboro Baptist Church hatefully protesting at military funerals. Also, addressing the "motivated by religious hatred" part, yeah, there were parts like "shit, the Lord is shit" according to the translation, but most of the translated lines make it clear that the song is, first and foremost, a political statement.
If you have one, what's your opinion on the group? Do you think that what they did was inappropriate? Why? Was the two year sentence too harsh?
Full article for your reading pleasure
I don't think the charge nor the sentence really fit what they did. They were protesting and didn't physically harm anyone in doing so. Sure, some of the conservative church-goers might've claimed to be "physically harmed" by their words and performance, but by that logic I could claim the same when I see the Westboro Baptist Church hatefully protesting at military funerals. Also, addressing the "motivated by religious hatred" part, yeah, there were parts like "shit, the Lord is shit" according to the translation, but most of the translated lines make it clear that the song is, first and foremost, a political statement.
If you have one, what's your opinion on the group? Do you think that what they did was inappropriate? Why? Was the two year sentence too harsh?