Artist Spotlight: Pussy Riot

     Artistry comes in many forms, and this is strongly exemplified through the Russian feminist punk rock band Pussy Riot. With their multicolored balaclavas pulled over their imperious faces, they burst onto the scene in 2011, loudly decrying Putin's conservative agenda and the noose that was tightening around the throats of social minority groups in Russia. For the most part, their illegal guerilla protests and "concerts" were treated as a nuisance, with some people reacting to them in a similar way to how the general public tends to view other radical feminist groups such as FEMEN. 

    But of course, no punk is prepared to go quietly into the night. "Putin will teach you to love the motherland!" they screamed in mock protest. "Riot, riot!" This was often met with strong public criticism and even threats, with people slandering them as "attention-seeking cunts" and "whores" while the police grabbed their nightsticks and struck them to the ground. But it was only when they performed their infamous protest inside Moscow's famous Russian Orthodox Church that Pussy Riot became a source for concern. Though no services were in progress at the time, and the girls did not harass anyone directly, they were brought up on charges of "hooliganism", arrested, and thrown in prison. While inside, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, two of the main members of the band, went on a hunger strike (but were forced to stop under the impending danger of starving to death). Though they were considered politicial prisoners by the Russian government, the international reaction was overwhelming, with many celebrities (including Madonna, Bjork, and Geddy Lee of Rush) voicing their support for the girls and criticizing their imprisonment. However, even though the girls acknowledged the support, they refused to be grouped together with these Western "capitalists", especially since they considered Western capitalism to be treating art as a commodity rather than an actual statement. In Toronto, protests took place outside the Russian consulate, and similar protests in support of the band were held in Bulgaria, NYC, and Scotland. Even FEMEN made a statement by desecrating a crucifix (though Pussy Riot later criticized this as well as FEMEN's method of topless protest). 

   In December of 2013, the girls were officially released from prison. Since then, they have met with numerous human rights activists and continue to spearhead their campaign for feminism and equality on social media. Recently, they have been campaigning for gay rights and feminism in Russia after the SCOTUS ruling on gay marriage legalization in the U.S. (I'm also going to point out here that Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, once stated that feminism posed a huge danger to Russia (source: Click here)). With all things considered, Pussy Riot is not just a band for radical feminists, but for anyone concerned with human rights. So pick up a guitar and start rioting!