8/18/12

Pussy Riot Have Succeeded Exposing Russias Sh*tty Democracy | People | Sabotage Times

Reportage|People|ByDanSwinhoe|Posted17August2012

PussyRiotHaveSucceededByExposingRussiasFlimsy Democracy
TheRussianjudicialsystemhasfoundPussyRiotguiltyofhooliganismandreligioushatredbuttherestoftheworldhas foundtheRussianstateguiltyofoppressionandinjustice...

Funnyhowafewminutescanhavesuchabigimpactonthings.InlessthanaminutethreeRussiangirlswentfromunderground punkswithanattitudeproblemtonationalheadlinesquestioningtheveryheartoftheirGovernmentsdemocracy.Notbad.

ImtalkingofcourseaboutthePussyRiottrials.Arelativelyunknownbandwho,upuntilFebruaryofthisyear,hadbeenlittlemore thanaYouTubenovelty.ButthankstoaprotestinMoscowsCathedralofChristtheSaviouragainstPutinsreelection(forthe umpteenthtime)theyarenowontrial,andfacingsevenyearsinprison. Thethreegirls,MariaAlyokhina,24,YekaterinaSamutsevich,30,andNadezhdaTolokonnikova,22,facechargesofhooliganism motivatedbyreligioushatredafterstormingtheCathedralandsinginganaughtysongfullofswearwordsthatbeckonedthemother MarytothrowPutinout.Asyoucanimagine,theratherconservativechurchdidnttakekindlytotheruckusTheheadoftheRussian OrthodoxChurch,PatriarchKirill,accusedthemofblasphemyandbeingtheDevilspuppets,sayingthedevillaughedatusafterhe sawthefootageoftheprotest. BearinginmindRussiaismeanttobeademocracy,itseemsridiculoustheyvealreadybeenheldsinceFebruarywithoutbail,and reportsofsleepdeprivationandlackoffood&waterhavecirculatedaroundthenews.Theprosecutionarguedtheyhadtostaywhere theywere,astheywereaflightrisksandcouldcommitfreshcrimesifletgo.Unlikely,twoofthemaremothers,whoprobablyhavent spenttimewiththeirfamilysincethishappened.Anditssafetosayanysentencetheydogethandedwontbecountedfromwhen
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8/18/12

Pussy Riot Have Succeeded Exposing Russias Sh*tty Democracy | People | Sabotage Times

theywerefirstheld.Bearinginmindlessthan1%ofRussiantrialsendinacquittal,itcomesasnosurprisethattheyhavenowbeen foundguilty. PussyRiotrepresenteverythingthegovernmentdoesntlikefreedomofspeechandopinion,dissidence,andanonymity. Thetrialhasbeenajoke.ThedefencelabelleditworsethantheSovietera.EveninSoviettimes,inStalinstimes,thecourtswere morehonestthanthisone,thebandslawyersaid.ThisisoneofthemostshamefultrialsinmodernRussia.InSoviettimes,atleast theyfollowedsomesortofprocedure.Thejudgehasrefusedtolistentoessentiallyeverywitnessthedefencehascalled,andwhen thedefenceaskedforanewjudgeongroundsofbias,sherefused(yesthejudgedecidesifhe/sheisbiased),whilecommentators (theGuardianhaslookedatthistrialfromeveryangle)havelikenedthetrialtotheInquisition. Officiallythegovernmenthasstayedoutoftheaffair.ThePrimeMinisterDmitryMedvedevhassaiditsuptothecourtstodecide, whilePutinhimselfhassaidthewomenshouldnotbejudgedtooharshly.ButwithstateTVrunningplentyofantiPussyRiot propaganda,chancesarehighthatbehindthescenesitsmorethanlikelystringsarebeingpulled. PussyRiotrepresenteverythingthegovernmentdoesntlikefreedomofspeechandopinion,dissidence,andanonymity.Beforethe trialthebandmemberswereallanonymous,playinginbalaclavasandbrightlycoloureddresses.Therewerenofixedmembershipor roles,everyonecouldbeintheband,andthatwasthepoint.ThewereprotestingagainstaPresidentmostofthemdidntvotefor,and ventingtheirfrustrationatachurchthatopenlysupportedtheguy. InveryPunkfashion,thebandhavebeenunrepentantsincetheirimprisonment.Putinisscaredofus,canyouimagine? Opinionpollsonthetrialshowthedividesinthecountry.Halfthinktheyshouldbeletgo,aroundathirdsaytheyreguilty,andtherest areunsure.Ifnothingelse,thetrialhashighlightedalotoftheissueswithinthecountrytherelationshipbetweenchurch&state,the reachofthegovernment,thedividebetweenthechurchgoersandsecular,betweendemocracyadvocatorsandtheKremlin.Itsall gotverymessy. InveryPunkfashion,thebandhavebeenunrepentantsincetheirimprisonment.Putinisscaredofus,canyouimagine?Theytold theGuardian.Scaredofgirls.Themostimportantdictator,Putin,isreallyafraidofpeople.Theydidntstopthere.Morespecifically, hesafraidofPussyRiot.Afraidofabunchofyoung,positive,optimisticwomenunafraidtospeaktheirminds. Nowmightbeagoodtimetosayfromapersonalview,Imnotdefendingtheiractions.Itwasdaft,immature,andnodoubtoffendeda fewnunswhowerepresent.Buttheyshouldbeallowedtoprotest.IftheywereintheUK,theydbeunluckytowalkawaywithafine andthestorywouldvemadethelocalsandmaybethenoveltypartofthenationals.Buteitherwaytheyshouldbeallowedtoprotest. Russiaisstillademocracy,ashittyoneyes,butademocracynonetheless.Theywereunhappyaboutthereelectionofapolitician theydidntlike,onemostyoungpeopleinthecitiesdontlike.Butbecauseofthepoliticstheirlittleprotesthasbecomeaglobal spectacle. Themusicitselfhasbeenmostlyforgottenundertherubbleofpoliticsandscandal.IdontspeakRussian,somaybethemessageis lostintranslation,butformostpartitsyouraverageOiPunk.Butdespitetheiraverageness,theyareeasilythemostimportantPunk bandinRussia,andpossiblytheworldrightnow.TheSexPistolsmayhavecausedanoutcry,buttheywereessentiallyharmless. NothingmorethansomeoikswithattitudeproblemsstickingacoupleoffingersuptotheoldladieswatchingtheBBC.PussyRiotare protestingagainstagovernmentperilouslyclosetofallingbackintototalitarianism.

ThecelebshavebeenflockingtothegirlscauseRussianactors,directorsandmusiciansallspokenoutagainsttheircaptivity,even onesgenerallyseenasrightwing/closetothechurch,andclosertohomethelikesofSting,theRedHotChilliPeppers,Franz FerdinandandMadonnahaveallpipedup.Butinrealityitsnogood.ThetrialisntintheUKoranepisodeoutofCoronationStreet justhavingfamouspeoplevoicetheirdisapprovalwonthelp,itmightevenbeahindranceiftheauthoritiesstarttakingoffence(or funnyifmorestartcallingMadonnaaslut).Whattheyreallyneedisfirstlytostayinthepubliceyesopeopledontforgetaboutthem, andsecondlysomepoliticianswithclouttosticktheirneckoutandsay,ormaybeevenactually,dosomethingtohelpthem.

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Pussy Riot Have Succeeded Exposing Russias Sh*tty Democracy | People | Sabotage Times

Ifthegovernmenthadletthisslide,itwouldvebeenforgottenaboutfairlyquickly.AfewdaysofamusingYouTubefootageand nothingmore.Butbecausetheauthoritiesreacteditsblownupintheirfaces.Notonlydoeshasitgoneworldwideandpissed everyoneoff,itsalmostcertainlygoingtofuelamillionothercopycats,justaftertheyvemanagedtocalmdowneveryoneafterthe electionraucous.TheymayhaveseenachancetonipthebandinthebudtoknockouttheleadersofRussiaspunkmovement,and togetridofanannoyance.Butclearlyithasfailed,andnowtheyrestuck. Theprotestsinreactiontotodaysguiltyverdictwillbemassive.Theworldisnowwatchingtheirbacks.Inthebandsclosing statementtheygotitspotonOntheonehand,wenowexpectaguiltyverdict.Comparedtothejudicialmachine,wearenobodies, andwehavelost.Ontheotherhand,wehavewon.Nowthewholeworldseesthatthecriminalcaseagainstushasbeenfabricated. Thesystemcannotconcealtherepressivenatureofthistrial. PussyRiot:TheStoryBehindTheRussianProtestTrial ClickhereformorearticlesaboutLifeinSabotageTimes ClickheretofollowSabotageTimesonTwitter ClickheretofollowSabotageTimesonFacebook
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