Russian punk activists and musicians Pussy Riot who only formed in 2011, came to the world’s attention in spectacular fashion for their outlandish displays and lyrics defying the patriarchal and communist rule of Vladimir Putin in their home country. They were subsequently thrown in jail after staging a demonstration inside a church in 2012, which is shown in the 2013 documentary ‘Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer’.
Their story was widely followed by the international media, as they would speak up about sexism, feminism and the dogmatic control of the Russian people by Putin and his regime.
They aren’t necessarily known for their musical skills, but they are known for their brave stance on issues that have seen them risk their very lives, in the hope that other people might achieve freedom.
Since spending time in the US after their prison release at the end of 2013, they have not stopped using their fame and passion to speak up for important issues.
The two remaining members Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina have just released their first English song and accompanying music video, and true to Pussy Riot Form, it tackles an important issue.
The girls were affected by the outrageous stories of police brutality against people like Eric Garner who was choked to death after being accused of selling cigarettes on the street, they decided to address this in their music. They happened to be in New York toward the end of 2014 when the protests against the police brutality towards Garner were happening, and while the cop in question was on trial (he was acquitted for his actions, sadly).
In an interview with Pitchfork, they spoke about why this issue was important for them, even though they are Russian. They say the issue of police brutality closely echoes the injustices that have been happening in their home country, but because America is a democratic society, they are very interested in how the media, the government and civil society will handle this delicate issue.
“We are convinced that right now we need to identify other countries as examples of how we can realistically implement our ideals in Russia, which one day will become more open and free. So we are prepared to suffer through problems in other countries as if they were our own. That’s why we joined the protests in New York and wrote ‘I Can’t Breathe.’ It truly was inspired by what happened in the U.S., but it has an attitude forged in the Russia we are living in today, in which we are trying so desperately to do something useful,” said the girls.
“We have to demand responsibility from our governments and we can never stop reminding government bureaucrats that they exist for our sake, and not the other way around. We gave those protests our support, even though we live in Russia, because police violence and death have no nationality. Dozens of people die agonizing deaths in Russian police stations, after being beaten, or tortured, or raped. We’ve experienced police cruelty first-hand. The state’s monopoly on force must be constantly monitored by society, or else that violence will get out of control.”
A 2007 study which examined fatal shootings in 10 major US cities found there was a disproportionate amount of black men in every city, particularly New York, San Diego and Las Vegas. On average there were 96 cases of a white police officer killing a black person each year between 2006 and 2012, based on justifiable homicides reported to the FBI by local police. But this info is related to convicted felons, not men like Michael Brown or Eric Garner and others who were unarmed when confronted by police.
According to the FBI, which has tracked justifiable homicides up to 2012, 410 felons died at the hands of a law enforcement officer in the line of duty. New York City has become a particularly problematic area for this issue. The New York City Police Department reports in its firearms discharge report that more black people have been shot by NYPD officers between 2000 and 2011 than have Hispanics or whites.
The Pussy Riot members spoke about their track saying it was less about the music and more about the impact. That doesn’t mean they are doing art a disservice, it means they are using the powerful medium as a way to send a very important and loud message.
“We aren’t film directors or cinematography people. We are students of conceptual art, so each element of our video had to contain aesthetic value and also be a conceptual element. The label on the pack of cigarettes you see at the start of the video reads “Russkaya vesna,” or “Russian spring” [a term referring to Russia’s aggressive militant actions in the Ukrainian war zone in 2014]. That’s not just a label. It’s the ideological construct that made Russia the way the world sees it now, burying itself and its freedom alive.”
On the track, they enlisted the help of legendary punk artist Richard Hell to repeat the words of Eric Garner. Eleven times you hear him say “I can’t breathe” at the end of the video, which is the same amount of times Eric said that phrase to the police before he was shamelessly choked to death.
“This song is for Eric and for all those from Russia to America and around the globe who suffer from state terror – killed, choked, perished because of war and state sponsored violence of all kinds – for political prisoners and those on the streets fighting for change. We stand in solidarity,” says the description about the video on the band’s Youtube channel.
With the bold statement this first English Pussy Riot track is making, we are hoping it is not their last. Take a look at the two versions of their video below which is a stark reminder that men and women need to stand and work together to fight injustice and inequality, if we ever hope to make a difference.
Pingback: China Releases The Feminists Jailed For Protesting Sexual Harassment
Pingback: The Radical Female Russian Revolutionists Who Changed History Long Before Pussy Riot