Pussy Riot pitch invasion

bad luck

No one in France or Croatia seems to be saying how hurt and upset they were by the protest

I expect Croatia might have more to say about the first French goal being an own goal of astonishingly bad about the second French goal being the result of a rather dubious penalty.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Riot

What message were they trying to get across with the pitch invasion?
God knows. They were a bit annoying. Mbappe gave one of them a high five.

What message were they trying to get across with the pitch invasion?

Some of the spectators who went along did try and do their bit on theological awareness raising side of things, but it's severely risky.

I saw some pics of a group who spent the entire time walking round in a line to make a Pride rainbow out of their single coloured shirts. Nifty!

Didn't hear about anything of the women's rights side of things so much, but I did read that vastly more Russian women than usual attended matches because the presence of international spectators and cameras mean that it was safe for them to do so for once.

There is also speculation about how the influx of foreign visitors in vast numbers may permanently affect the provincial host cities in particular, where diversity like hat has literally never been seen.

Those acts tend to turn people off whatever message the protesters were trying to convey which seems to render the whole thing pointless. well that's basically a description of the public perception of the pride protest isn't it? The message didn't get across and the media coverage was almost universally hostile.

But coming back to Pussy Riot in particular, I get that church stuff may be beyond desecration in that sense, or football matches, but I don't agree that this should make them places where protest should not happen.

Different places and events are dear to the heart s of different tribes, for want of a better word, and to get their attention you disrupt the things they pay attention to, like football, churches and parades.

To a lot of people Pride is a once a year event of enormous importance which was spoilt for them in a big way by the protest this year - if you condemn Pusey Riot for protesting in a church then you ought also to condemn the pride protestors for protesting at pride. Which you don't seem to at all, even if only for that aspect.

So why single out pussy Riot? Is it the orgy thing again? Because that wasn't them.

LaSquirrel - Not sure that Pussy Riot are under the control of a man, you might be thinking of that, supposedly, radical feminist group Femen.

I agree with Procrastinator:

Putin has been using the world cup to "enhance" his reputation. Everyone else seems to have forgotten the human rights violations carried out by Putin and his government. What better than the final in the gaze of the world to remind everyone.

I can't believe so many people are calling Pussy Riot's protest "selfish". Protests generally have to.stick out to make an impact. That's why Pussy Riot invaded the pitch, and why the Get the L Out protesters went to the head of the parade.

The World Cup should never have taken place in Russia, with its relentless drug cheating in other sports and abysmal human rights record.

Perhaps the people who are really selfish are the spectators who happily went to Russia knowing what they know about Putin's regime, and all those who profited from the World Cup being played there?

I think that some people might have wondered what these women were protesting about and been curious. The name's quite distinctive and it's easy enough to find out more online. Even if you just find out more about women's rights and Russia, rather than Pussy Riot as an organisation.

Sorry AssassinatedBeauty I did note above that you explained it wasn't Pussy Riot who put on that event. I was including it because it was something I read about in an interview with one of the Pussy Riot members.

As for the football protest, it didn't come across as anything of note to me. As I said further up, I was listening to the match on the radio and they mentioned a pitch invasion followed a few minutes later by saying "apparently it was Pussy Riot". That was it and then back to the game. I don't know what they showed on TV.

slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/05/pussy-riots-nadezhda-tolokonnikova-on-trans-rights-trump-and-the-activist-messiah-complex.html

Saying that they’re doing it wrong from our sofas is So “let them eat cake” though. Not everyone has choices

So if you don't support them you are Marie Antoinette? I don't think so. Many of us are activists in other contexts and we (well most of us) on FWR all have a vested interest in feminism and women's rights, including where these are 'threatened' by those claiming to act in the name of feminism.

I agree that Pussy Riot are not perfect and are not above criticism, at all. I don't agree with everything they do or represent. But I can't criticize them for protesting in this way at this event. I don't think it was counter productive or pointless

I didn't see the protest. I was referring to PR more generally.

Pussy Riot don't protest by having group sex in public.

I can see why some people find the church protest to be counterproductive and offensive. Is the pitch invasion in the same category for you, Hornets?

I have a mate who has met/ ‘worked’ with them a number of times (mate also spent a period of time cooling heels in a Russian prison for activism related offence.) Mate has nothing but admiration for them - a strong and committed bunch who are determined to protest and prepared to take the very personal consequences.
Protesting at the World Cup final was a stroke of genius. Really. I am actually a bit worried for their safety though. You have to hope that the international media interest will hamper any disappearances.
And lol at the grave concerns over a football match being ruined - ruined I tell you! It’s practically a tradition to have someone running round, usually starkers. Kudos for them being brave enough to do it there, though. These gals are committed.

And what, I ask again, do you think are suitable methods for protesting in Putin's Russia?

I can't answer that because I don't know.

I just think that group sex in public and invading a church with people worshipping in it is not the best way to protest.

IntercontinentalButtCrack I actually wrote a complaint to the Guardian about their coverage of the Get the L Out protest (in fact two emails, one to the reporter Patrick Greenfield and the other to the Readers Editor Paul Chadwick). I complained that they'd not once described the protester as Lesbians or explained what the protest was about, but had instead referred to them as 'anti-trans' (which they were NOT).

Another thread on here has links to a New Statesman article by Sarah Ditum in which she says this "If the mark of successful direct action is getting your message out, Get the L Out failed. Never mind assessing if their grievance was legitimate – most of the coverage failed even to describe what it was."

If people were shocked and upset by 8 Lesbians laying down on the floor or walking with banners which said 'Lesbians are female homosexuals' for the reasons you describe, then I am sorry that the protest hurt them but some things need to be said. I don't disagree that protest is about pissing some people off. However, there is a big difference between that kind of peaceful protest (however much the message might hurt some people who don't agree) to indulge in group sex in public or invade a church when people are worshipping. Those acts tend to turn people off whatever message the protesters were trying to convey which seems to render the whole thing pointless.

I agree that Pussy Riot are not perfect and are not above criticism, at all. I don't agree with everything they do or represent. But I can't criticize them for protesting in this way at this event. I don't think it was counter productive or pointless.

What tactics should women in Russia use to protest, if Pussy Riot are going about it the wrong way and under the control of men

This seems to keep being repeated, much like I see 'Tell me what it feels like to be a woman' here. I personally don't think this is a good or a fair tactic when the debate here is between women who are regulars on the board and who are all feminists. Our collective goal is to end women's oppression and this should be assumed to be in good faith. If some of us disagree on tactics then surely the response should be open and genuine questioning and debate as well as genuine listening? remembers why she ran away from feminism in circa 1995

PR are not the be-all and end-all of women's protests in Russia. There are many women blogging, setting up support groups, joining human rights watch organisations and providing information to these.

Presumably you think that Pussy Riot is simply Voina under another name, and that there are men behind the scenes controlling what these women do

Errr no. Not quite. But where there is smoke I do think that it is worth investigating the fire.

Presumably you think that Pussy Riot is simply Voina under another name, and that there are men behind the scenes controlling what these women do.