What We Saw at the Solidarity Concert for Pussy Riot

Reason Staff | 8.11.2012 12:55 PM

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What We Saw at the Solidarity Concert for Pussy Riot

Amnesty International called Russian punk feminist collective Pussy Riot "prisoners of conscience," after a February 21 anti-Putin protest landed three members of the band on trial for "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred." The plight of Pussy Riot has provoked international attention — and pressure for lenience — as the women face three to seven years in prison. On August 10, Reason TV headed down to the Solidarity Concert for Pussy Riot, right across from the Russian embassy.

About 4 minutes

Produced by Joshua Swain, interviews by Lucy Steigerwald

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Ice Nine 13 years ago

What We Saw at the Solidarity Concert for Pussy Riot

Well, I'm not terribly surprised that it caused a riot!
1. Joe R. 13 years ago
  
  The food will be great
  And the drinks will be free
  And all the sexy girls will wanna party with me
  The weed will be toked, and Columbian coke
  Will be snorted off some strippers boobs and that's no joke
  
  It's the party of the century that's right
  Unfortunately it's tomorrow night
  I'm going to a party
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  I'm gonna get some pussy
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  But tonight I'm gonna jerk off
  
  It's in Beverly Hills
  They got prescription pills
  And Keifer fucking Sutherland is coming to chill
  They got sushi and rice
  Lowenbrau is on ice
  In the living room they're playing naked Twister and dice
  The security and pussy will both be tight
  But I'm on the list for tomorrow night!
  
  I'm going to a party
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  I'm gonna get some pussy
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  But tonight I'm playing angry birds
  Like a million other stupid nerds
  But tonight I'm gonna burp the worm by myself!!!
  
  Ponies and clowns will be walking around
  Naked people having sex all over the ground
  Britney Spears is making out with Christopher Walken
  In the back yard Iron Maiden is rocking
  The couch is on fire but nobody cares
  Charlie Sheen is winning in the bedroom upstairs!!!!
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  
  I'm going to a party
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  Tomorrow night
  
  Tomorrow night!!!!!
Mike M. 13 years ago

An awful lot of fairly standard-issue left wing dingbattery is being articulated here, but it certainly sounds like it's for a worthy cause, so that's cool.
1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  Standard-issue left wingers are in to "cool". And tight fitting, sassy summer clothing. Ooh yeah.
sloopyinca 13 years ago

While the right turns its collective nose in the air, the left continues to grab the high ground on free speech issues.

Way to go NeoCons. You blow every chance that doesn't fit perfectly with your ideology: the NYC mosque, The attack of Julian Assange and now this. But they'll rush out and defend Chik-Fil-A and Rush Limbaugh's 1A rights.

Idiots.
1. EDG reppin' LBC 13 years ago
  
  Hey Sloop, we just got tickets for Bob Mould at the El Rey on October 30. He'll be performing the Copper Blue album as well as his new one. We're going with a couple of other Buckeyes and it should be a very fun evening. You and Banjos should come down.
2. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  What does this have to do with a fast food joint, an American talk show host, or "NeoCons"? Haven't met a single American that likes the Putin regime. It's wunnerful that some college kids can take pictures of themselves wearing goofy costumes as a sign of solidarity. Maybe the P.R. bandmates will have some funny pictures to look at while they're sitting in a cage during their show trial. As for Amnesty International robots, if these little garden parties give them a creative outlet and take away any time they would normally reserve for comitting acts of vandalism on Chik-Fil-A buildings, that's just lovely.
3. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  BTW, assholes like Putin are not idiots. But they think people like you are. Music and Luuuv isn't all that's required to defeat the blue meanies of the world. Sorry to burst your condom.
4. The Immaculate Trouser 13 years ago
  
  I dunno, is the set of conservatives who support Putin or Russian tyranny a large one? I doubt it.
  
  FWIW, I think that Redeye had something on this, and IIRC National Review had an article in support of Pussy Riot, as well.
5. KPres 13 years ago
  
  Maybe you should realize that none of this has anything to do with ideology, it's all pure partisan tribalism. The stated ideologies are just there to provide intellectual cover.
6. Gladstone 13 years ago
  
  Um the neocons don't like Putin so I imagine they would support Pussy Riot. Also some libertarians (e.g. Raimondo and Rockwell) would think support for Pussy Riot is neocon.
7. JeremyR 13 years ago
  
  The problem is, their free speech happened to involve trespassing at a church.
  
  If these women really have balls, why don't they try doing the same thing at a Mosque? See what happens? But no, they pick on Christians because they know nothing is really going to happen to them.
  1. The Immaculate Trouser 13 years ago
    
    Something did happen to them.
    
    St Basil's Cathedral and the Russian Orthodox Church =/= your local Southern Baptist crawl.
    1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
      
      No, they're all just a bunch a crackas.
  2. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
    
    I suspect that the Russian orthodox church has been under the control of the KGB since before they called it the KGB. Doubt this would be very high profile if it was a simple nuisance law violation.
  3. Amakudari 13 years ago
    
    Uh, pretty sure something did happen to them, and the Russian Orthodox Church is a much greater threat to a free Russia than any Muslims. You might have had a point if they were mocking Unitarians or something.
    1. Chris Mallory 13 years ago
      
      Yeah, those Russian Orthodox are know for their terrorist acts.
      1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
        
        I think they're just known for harassing other Christian sects that threaten their turf and never criticising the government.
Lionel Hutz, Esq. 13 years ago

You should have asked them about Alexey Navalny just to watch their feminist heads spin.
1. sloopyinca 13 years ago
  
  Sounds good to me, but won't there be a lot of hipster there?
  
  What is the city policy on carrying a blackjack in LA?
  1. sloopyinca 13 years ago
    
    This was meant for EDG.
EDG reppin' LBC 13 years ago

I know I shouldn't do this, but here is the link for a HuffPo article on it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.....13903.html

I don't really ever migrate to the HuffPo, but I figured it would be an okay article. The comments are fucking insane however. These assholes will fellate power whenever they get a chance. There is some criticism of Putin and the Russian government, But then a commenter named "allengoldchain" posted this golden nugget:

Protest as you may but don't go defaming one of the most holiest churches in Russia. These so called band new what they were doing and now are scared of facing the punishment. If they think defaming a church for their cause is honorable then they need to face the consequences of the authorities who don't take too kindly with what they did.

Fuck a duck!?!
1. sloopyinca 13 years ago
  
  Dude, we're coming down to Long Beach Monday night.
2. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  Keep in mind that when you call some person an asshole, there are all kinds of assholes. Asshole taxonomy was becoming more complex even before the abrupt end of the Nixon administration.
3. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  HuffPo is mostly harmless. Maybe it's slanted, but even Holsteins can nibble grass on mountain slopes without tipping over...spontaneously, anyway.
4. JeremyR 13 years ago
  
  That's exactly the thing - criticizing Putin is one thing - but the way they did it.
  
  Should they be going to jail for years? Of course not. But being arrested and thrown in jail for a few days, sure.
  
  You go try breaking and entering some place and give a political speech - see what happens. You'll get arrested. Just because it happened in a church doesn't mean they can do it. Christians have rights, too
Ice Nine 13 years ago

I love that Mask Woman thought that getting a simple permit was a hallmark of lack of freedom and a few seconds later in the video Russian Woman thought that getting a simple permit was a hallmark of freedom.

Also, tie Green Dress Woman's hands behind her back.
1. Lucy Steigerwald 13 years ago
  
  Isn't that a great contrast? And they're both sort of right, in my opinion.
  1. sloopyinca 13 years ago
    
    A green dress and a pink mask are a perfect contrast. Good fashion catch, Lucy.
    1. Lucy Steigerwald 13 years ago
      
      Don't make me mark your comment as spam, buddy!
      1. sloopyinca 13 years ago
        
        Don't try it, friend!
        
        Lucy Steigerwald 13 years ago
        
        It was an idle threat, pal!
        
        sloopyinca 13 years ago
        
        It better be, guy!*
        
        *Flappy-headef Canadians do not differentiate the sexes.
        
        yonemoto 13 years ago
        
        get a room you two.
Mr Whipple 13 years ago

What We Saw at the Solidarity Concert for Pussy Riot

Did you see Mrs. Slocombe's pussy?
1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  You've all done very well.
Mr Whipple 13 years ago

I saw all kinds of pussy at the Titty Twister.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3pmwrtlDaY
1. Mint Berry Crunch 13 years ago
  
  Now this is my kind of place!
2. yonemoto 13 years ago
  
  since I saw this movie for the first time in a theatre in france, this is how I learned the french word for 'pussy'. It did not, however, get me to lose my virginity that summer, as I had hoped.
Fist of Etiquette 13 years ago

I don't care for the language.
1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  Honest and brave Russians have to take what they can get.
  1. Fist of Etiquette 13 years ago
    
    No, I mean the Russian language. Have you ever had to read it? They use those funny backwards R's and upside down h's. I didn't care for it when I had to speak po-russkiy and I don't care for it now.
    1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
      
      Ya (backwords R) nemanoga znayu russkiy yazuk. Eto bomba!
      1. Fist of Etiquette 13 years ago
        
        You know a little Russian. The Hit+Run commissar refuse to allow Cyrillic and I have a hard time reading Russian in English. The Cossacks!
        
        Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
        
        Cossacks? They're a bunch of friggin mongols!
    2. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
      
      If you don't like their alphabet, blame the Byzantine empire. It's not my fault.
Drake 13 years ago

Suspenders?
1. Lucy Steigerwald 13 years ago
  
  Correct.
Brutus 13 years ago

Of course, the important question is whether Pussy Riot is incorporated.
1. Eduard van Haalen 13 years ago
  
  Exactly, because corporations don't have free speech rights.
  1. Brutus 13 years ago
    
    Right. So if Pussy Riot is a business entity, our "liberals" should be perfectly fine with Putin shutting them up.
2. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  Only in Russia would rioters incorporate.
joshua corning 13 years ago

at 2:02 of the video:

"I am a huge proponent of not getting permits"

I think I am in love.
NotSure 13 years ago

While free speech is a problem in Russia, what they did is not the best way to sell it though. This is more to do with excessive punishment, than free speech, if I go to some piano recital for example and interrupt it and start shouting for freedom, then I should expect to face a fine, not a 3 year sentence though.
1. Sanjuro Tsubaki 13 years ago
  
  The duty of all hardworking, sane people is to keep their eyes open but their mouths shut. Idiots are perhaps useful to freedom loving cowards as well as totalitarian scumbags.
jason 13 years ago

this is new kind of protest in the state which is very good and delivering the right message.
Niko 13 years ago

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numnumnum 13 years ago

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