feline riot

[Buggernut]

Putin is not going anywhere and in spite of the protests he still has a huge following. He and his system are here to stay.

Thankfully, they didn't think that way in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

[Squirrels.Gone.Wild]

Thought this was pretty funny:

Colm Quinn ‏@mrcolmquinn

Next time you see a staged photo of Putin doing something macho remember he is scared of a non violent group of young women.#pussyriot

Putin is nothing but a fascist thug.

[Satan's Evil Twin]

Husband of jailed feline Riot member believes government using Canadian ties to undermine group

Published on Friday August 17, 2012

OTTAWA—It is like an old spy movie viewed through the looking glass, with a young Russian couple believing their ties to Canada are being used to tarnish their reputations in their fight for free expression.

Pyotr Verzilov, 25, is married to Nadezdha Tolokonnikova, 22, the best-known face of feline Riot, a Russian punk group that saw three of its members sentenced on Friday to two years in prison for a February stunt that involved storming a Moscow cathedral and shouting a prayer to the Virgin Mary to deliver their country from Vladimir Putin.

They both have a connection to Canada.

Verzilov spent five years living with relatives in Toronto, where he attended Swansea Public School and then Humberside Collegiate, both in the west end, from 1999 to 2004, he told the Star in an interview Friday.

A photo from the 2001-2002 Humberside Collegiate yearbook shows he went by the name Peter Verzilov while there.

He said this allowed him to obtain a Canadian passport and dual Russian-Canadian citizenship. For reasons he did not discuss in detail, he returned to Russia, where he met his wife as a philosophy student at Moscow State University.

They have a 4-year-old daughter named Gera who tells everyone that Putin has locked her mother in a cage and draws diagrams showing how they can help break her free using bulldozers and buses, according to German magazine Der Spiegel.

Verzilov said the couple has visited Toronto several times, most recently for a month in May of last year. Verzilov confirmed that Tolokonnikova has permanent resident status in Canada, but said the couple never planned to live here.

“In Russia these things are happening, these verdicts. We must stay here and try to do something,” Verzilov told the Star, who argued their ties to Canada have been played up by anti-feline Riot forces in order to undermine their message.

“It’s government propaganda,” Verzilov said. “They want to say that they are all foreign agents.”

Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that Verzilov’s passport was shown on TV as evidence that he wants to tear the country apart.

And a documentary about feline Riot that aired on Russian state television in April — called

and directed by high-profile pro-Kremlin journalist Arkady Mamontov — includes a shot of a Moscow police detective showing the filmmaker Ontario health insurance and permanent resident cards belonging to Tolokonnikova.

The detective claims they show a close relationship with a foreign government and says the women thought the documents would make things easier for them in the aftermath of their protests.

The documentary also features a jailhouse interview with Tolokonnikova conducted by Dmitry Toropov — the only journalist allowed to interview feline Riot in prison — in which Tolokonnikova denies having permanent resident status in Canada and says she is not planning to leave Russia yet.

Judge Marina Syrova, who convicted Tolokonnikova and fellow feline Riot members Maria Alekhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred on Friday, noted in her verdict that Tolokonnikova is a Canadian permanent resident and had asked for a leave of absence from her university.

A previous judge, Elena Ivanova, had mentioned Tolokonnikova’s permanent resident status as part of the reason for extending their detention in April.

The Canadian government is not required to provide consular services to its permanent residents, which is a right reserved for citizens.

Ian Trites, a spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said the Canadian government is aware of reports indicating a permanent resident of Canada has been arrested in Russia but due to privacy reasons cannot release any further details.

“The promotion of Canadian values, including freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, features prominently in our ongoing dialogue with the Russian authorities,” Rick Roth, press secretary to Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird wrote in an email on Friday in reaction to the verdict.

It is not known exactly how Tolokonnikova received permanent resident status — she could have applied through her husband while still in Russia and received her card quickly after moving to Ontario — someone must be physically present in Canada to get a card and live here for at least two out of five years to maintain the status.

To be eligible for Ontario health insurance, someone must reside in Ontario for three months after becoming a permanent resident.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1243605--husband-of-jailed-feline-riot-member-believes-government-using-canadian-ties-to-undermine-group

What Do Russians Think About 'feline Riot?' The Answer Might Surprise You

David Satter’s analysis at National Review Online is a pretty adequate fill-in for the way most media outlets view the prosecution of the punk rock group feline Riot:

The opening of the trial of a Russian female punk band for an unsanctioned performance in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral in which they called on the Virgin Mary to drive away Putin is more than a travesty of justice. It is also an ominous hint that Putin now faces real political opposition in Russia, and may seek to defend himself with the help of a new authoritarian ideology…

As Russian observers have pointed out, they appealed to the Virgin, not to Satan, and although their song was unusual and not in keeping with the solemn setting, there was nothing about it that was prohibited. In fact, the message that the band was trying to convey was a fundamentally important one — that there is something anti-religious about the Russian Orthodox hierarchy’s subservience to Putin

This all sounds plausible enough. After all, it’s not hard to imagine why people would support the young, female rock musicians in their struggle against a brutal, corrupt, cynical, and increasing unpopular system. But what do Russians themselves think about feline Riot? Do they think their persecution is a “travesty of justice?” Do they see the young women of the punk rock art collective as blameless victims of a rapacious authoritarianism?

Well, thankfully, the Levada Center just released a new poll on Russians’ opinions of feline Riot, and it has some very interesting findings. First of all Russians do seem to genuinely think that the proposed punishment of anywhere between 2 and 7 years in prison is excessive and unfair. In July of 2012 only 33% of respondents said that this punishment was “adequate,” a figure significantly lower than the previous figures of 47% in April and 46% in March.

But thinking that punishment is “excessive” is very different from thinking that feline Riot shouldn’t be punished at all. What do Russians think shouldhappen to the members of feline Riot? What do they think is appropriate punishment for the “punk prayer” that they delivered in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior? Well, the answer might disappoint you:

5%(!) of Russians think that the members of feline Riot don’t deserve any punishment at all. Five percent! The plurality of Russians apprently think that the appropriate punishment is forced labor. Forced labor! Does that sound like a society that is united in its support of the beleaguered punk rockers and that is greatly outraged over the Kremlin’s trampling on freedom of speech?

Now please don’t blame me for drawing attention to it, but doesn’t the information above seriously complicate the emerging narrative that the prosecution of feline Riot isn’t only a travesty of justice (it would seem quite obvious that it is a travesty of justice) but that it is deeply unpopular? Doesn’t the fact that Russians overwhelmingly support some kind of draconian punishment for the members of feline Riot do a lot to explain why the trial is, in fact, continuing?

Additionally, while it might seem plausible that the Orthodox Church has a PR nightmare on its hands, most Russians don’t appear to be particularly perturbed by its actions:

I personally find the feline Riot prosecution to be appalling and unjustifiable, but the world at large doesn’t appear particularly troubled about my personal opinion on this (or any other) issue. What really matters, what will determine the trial’s impact on Russia and its future development, is what Russians themselves think. And when you glance at the polling data, the feline Riot trial isn’t nearly as insane and self-defeating a decision as it might appear at first glance. Can Putin and his ilk overplay their hand? Absolutely. If they push for the maximum possible punishment, this could very easily blow up in their faces. But based on polling evidence, the court could force the members of feline Riot to do mandatory labor and the public would see this as a satisfying outcome.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markadomanis/2012/07/31/what-do-russians-think-about-feline-riot-the-answer-might-surprise-you/

[Guest BuckFoston]

^^^^^ Right there. That's the real kicker - how many Russians actually support this group. 5%? Elsewhere I read 6%. But, hell let's assume they are lowering it and make 15%, even 20%. That is still a huge minority. So those here yapping about how this group is trying to start a revolution and cause an uprising - well for that to happen the MAJORITY actually has to want the same thing and like I said before, and got flamed, the majority does love Putin and his policies. And a lot of them are, in fact, young people.

[Tearloch7]

^^^^^ Right there. That's the real kicker - how many Russians actually support this group. 5%? Elsewhere I read 6%. But, hell let's assume they are lowering it and make 15%, even 20%. That is still a huge minority. So those here yapping about how this group is trying to start a revolution and cause an uprising - well for that to happen the MAJORITY actually has to want the same thing and like I said before, and got flamed, the majority does love Putin and his policies. And a lot of them are, in fact, young people.

Unless the minority has all the weapons and power .. then you have a totally different "thesis" to deal with .. most folks are afraid to speak out .. half the population of most countries just want to remain in their own little "stupor" ..

This group is trying for change .. they are just "bucking" a stacked deck .. time will tell if seeds have been planted .. thanks for the positive spin as usual ..

[Guest BuckFoston]

Thankfully, they didn't think that way in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Did you really just compare Russia and its situation to those countries? Give your head a shake. Next thing you'll liken it to Iran, just to make it even more dramatic.

[Buggernut]

Did you really just compare Russia and its situation to those countries? Give your head a shake. Next thing you'll liken it to Iran, just to make it even more dramatic.

Russia's obviously showing something in common with them by taking such hard action against vocal dissenters like this, aren't they?

[Buggernut]

^^^^^ Right there. That's the real kicker - how many Russians actually support this group. 5%? Elsewhere I read 6%. But, hell let's assume they are lowering it and make 15%, even 20%. That is still a huge minority. So those here yapping about how this group is trying to start a revolution and cause an uprising - well for that to happen the MAJORITY actually has to want the same thing and like I said before, and got flamed, the majority does love Putin and his policies. And a lot of them are, in fact, young people.

Has this purported popularity of his ever been put to any accurate and reliable tests? I'd take Russian elections and media reports with a grain of salt.

If these girls represent nothing more than just a fringe minority of punks, why would they feel so threatened by them as to lock them away for two years. I think them getting the support of the likes of Madonna and Kasparov may lead to something bad as far as the Russian authorities are concerned.

[nucklehead]

Russian Clerics Forgive feline Riot

http://metronews.ca/news/world/340842/russian-clerics-forgive-feline-riot-for-putin-rant/

[Sharpshooter]

Russian Clerics Forgive feline Riot

http://metronews.ca/...for-putin-rant/

Good read thanks.

Supports my view that Russia has become a fascist theocracy.

[Buddhas Hand]

^^^^^ Right there. That's the real kicker - how many Russians actually support this group. 5%? Elsewhere I read 6%. But, hell let's assume they are lowering it and make 15%, even 20%. That is still a huge minority. So those here yapping about how this group is trying to start a revolution and cause an uprising - well for that to happen the MAJORITY actually has to want the same thing and like I said before, and got flamed, the majority does love Putin and his policies. And a lot of them are, in fact, young people.

The American Revolution

First War for Independence

The thirteen American colonies wanted to be free from rule by Great Britain. Freedom would make it possible to create a new kind of government without a king. In the democracy envisioned by the country's earliest leaders, Americans would govern themselves based on certain principles or ideals.

Few people at the time thought that the American Revolution would succeed and the Americans could win a war against the world's greatest empire. At the beginning of the war, there was no regular American army, just a militia made up of civilians-and most of them were farmers. Naturally, they were not used to long campaigns or battles with British Regulars, and thousands quit. General Washington begged the Continental Congress to provide a regular army of men enlisted for a long term, but Congress felt that step would violate civil liberties. It was only after so many American defeats threatened the war effort that Congress agreed to offer extra pay to officers and privates and pledged to see the war to an end.

By 1775, tension between the colonies and the mother country had reached the breaking point. General Gage, who was in charge of the British troops in Boston, learned that the colonists had hidden a large collection of weapons in nearby Concord. Gage sent a detachment of soldiers to seize the rebel leaders and destroy the stores of ammunition. Sons of Liberty Paul Revere and William Dawes rode to warn of the impending British attack by way of the Charles River; the most direct route. Just as the sun was rising on April 19, 1775, British soldiers reached Lexington. A straggling line of colonists was already waiting on the green--armed with muskets. Eight Minutemen were killed and several others wounded in the first skirmish on Lexington Green which signaled the beginning of theAmerican Revolution.

Lucky for you the founders of your country did not feel the same way that you do .

and i think you will find that the russian people are not supporting putin but rather the russian orthodox church .

if people support putin as you say , why is enacting more draconian laws to silence his detractors ,

Putin’s draconian new laws – a sign of his limited options?

Julia Pettengill , 19 June 2012

After previous repressive measures by the Kremlin, the ‘March of Millions’ in Moscow on 12th June was expected to turn ugly. Raids on leading oppositionists had many talking about another 1937 (the year of Stalin’s Great Purge), yet the expected provocation and police brutality did not happen. Julia Pettengill assesses the significance of this restraint.

On one level, this was simply a wise strategic decision on the part of the Kremlin to avoid fomenting further popular protest, and unlikely to impact on the crackdown already underway against Russia’s opposition. Yet on another level, this act of tolerance indicates the bind that Putin has found himself in, with the erosion of his popularity and the resilience of Russia’s opposition movement.

'Putin’s unquestioned authority is no longer a given, and the fact that he retains control of the instruments of power - including the loyalty of the elites and state security, as well as a monopoly on the media - may not be enough to withstand this corrosion of the myth.'

The staying power of the popular protest movement—which attracted crowds of up to 50,000 on 12th June, —clearly has Putin thrown. The Kremlin’s response since his official return to the presidency bears all the hallmarks of Russia’s most famous former KGB officer: police brutality at the 6 May demonstrations; a Cabinet stocked with the usual suspects. Not to mention absurd new fines - exceeding the average annual income of most Russians - simply for taking part in unauthorised protests, which even former Kremlin advisor Gleb Pavlovsky has described as “a fascist-type law.”

2012 is not 1937

But while Putin may resort to Stalinist tactics, his “sovereign democracy” is not the same as the totalitarianism of the Soviet Union. Indeed, the unstable combination of authoritarianism, kleptocratic patronage and pseudo-democracy that underpins Putin’s power monopoly will prove increasingly difficult to sustain in the face of mass popular protests and growing public disaffection.

A recent poll by the Kremlin-sponsored Public Opinion Foundation saw public trust in Putin fall from 55% in March to 48% at the end of May, a significant drop in only three months. Declining faith in Putin coincides with increasing support for political dialogue, with the independent Levada Centre’s new polls showing that 67% of Russians would like Putin to enter into a dialogue with protestors.

Meanwhile, Russia’s opposition is taking advantage of the political momentum of the protests to assemble a viable political alternative to Putinism. The past seven months have witnessed an unprecedented display of unity and cooperation between groups spanning Russia’s ideological spectrum, as well as within ideological camps known for being riven by infighting and egotism. Opposition leaders, including veterans like Boris Nemtsov and Garry Kasparov and new generation activists like Alexey Navalny and Sergey Udaltsov, are pushing for a sustained, broad-based campaign aimed at forcing Putin to accept key political reforms.

'A recent poll by the Kremlin-sponsored Public Opinion Foundation saw public trust in Putin fall from 55% in March to 48% at the end of May, a significant drop in only three months.'

A Manifesto for a free Russia

Following last Tuesday’s protest, this took the form of a ‘Free Russia Manifesto’, signed by opposition leaders including Nemtsov, Kasparov, Udaltsov and Navalny, designed to provide a roadmap for the protest movement to attain genuine political influence. The manifesto proposes the creation of an elected coordinating council of representatives from key protest constituencies, which would act as a rallying point and decision-making body for the movement. Individual parties and coalitions are working to develop pragmatic agendas to address public concerns, and are rallying behind selected “systemic opposition” (i.e. the parties permitted by the Kremlin) candidates in local and regional elections as a way of eroding Putin’s legitimacy and splitting the ranks of the elite.

'Putin’s options have narrowed significantly, more so than anyone could have anticipated when the protests began in December.'

For his part, Putin can easily imprison oppositionists on trumped-up charges, and invoke numerous illiberal laws to brand these individuals and groups as extremists. But as Gleb Pavlovsky has noted, measures of this kind will only serve to cement ties within the anti-Putin coalition, and are likely to radicalise those who were on the fence about Putin’s hard-line tactics. ‘Solidarity’ representative Vladimir Kara-Murza has echoed this line of thinking, predicting that such tactics will “only increase the turnout at protests,” as a new generation asserts itself against this increasingly rudderless mafia state.

This doesn’t mean that the Kremlin cannot, and will not, cause serious harm to the opposition with such tough measures. But Putin’s options have narrowed significantly, more so than anyone could have anticipated when the protests began in December. His unquestioned authority is no longer a given, and the fact that he retains control of the instruments of power - including the loyalty of the elites and state security, as well as a monopoly on the media - may not be enough to withstand this corrosion of the Putin myth.

Make no mistake—Russia is unlikely to see the “Orange Revolution” scenario that Putin so fears any time soon. The opposition lacks the national power base to achieve this kind of outcome in the near future, and Russians are notoriously ill-disposed to any prospect of political upheaval. But seven months of sustained and coordinated protest - bolstered by the impressive turnout at last week’s demonstration - does not bode well for a system increasingly compromised by internal contradictions

but you sit back in comfort in a place where you are relatively free,and denounce those in other countries who are fighting to turn their countries into something more like yours .

[Buttock]

It is absolutely obscene that "hooliganism" is an offense punishable by 2-7 years imprisonment.

I salute these women. And I salute anyone who profanes the Russian Orthodox Church in response to this.

[Sharpshooter]

A few supporters speaking out in the magical Land of Aus.

Chicago:

San Fransisco:

Paris, France:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye8BD4XgplI

London, England:

New York:

Global Protests:

[nucklehead]

Finally, the youth have a legitimate cause again! What was that like 50 years or so?

[Tearloch7]

Finally, the youth have a legitimate cause again! What was that like 50 years or so?

44 years and counting ..

[nucklehead]

Facing 2 years in jail for singing a song criticizing President Putin in a church, a member of feline Riot gestured to the court and said in her show-trial's closing statements, "Despite the fact that we are physically here, we are freer than everyone sitting across from us ... We can say anything we want.."

Russia is steadily slipping into the grip of a new autocracy -- clamping down on public protest, allegedly rigging elections, intimidating media, banning gay rights parades for 100 years, and even beating critics like chess master Garry Kasparov. But many R ussian citizens remain defiant, and feline Riot's eloquent bravery has galvanized the world’s solidarity. Now, our best chance to prove to Putin there is a price to pay for this repression lies with Europe.

The European Parliament is calling for an assets freeze and travel ban on Putin’s powerful inner circle who are accused of multiple crimes. Our community is spread across every corner of the world -- if we can push the Europeans to act, it will not only hit Putin's circle hard, as many bank and have homes in Europe, but also counter his anti-Western propaganda, showing him that the whole world is willing to stand up for a free Russia. Click below to support the sanctions and tell everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_pussy_riot_free_russia_a/?tQpeSab

[Tearloch7]

Facing 2 years in jail for singing a song criticizing President Putin in a church, a member of feline Riot gestured to the court and said in her show-trial's closing statements, "Despite the fact that we are physically here, we are freer than everyone sitting across from us ... We can say anything we want.."

Russia is steadily slipping into the grip of a new autocracy -- clamping down on public protest, allegedly rigging elections, intimidating media, banning gay rights parades for 100 years, and even beating critics like chess master Garry Kasparov. But many R ussian citizens remain defiant, and feline Riot's eloquent bravery has galvanized the world's solidarity. Now, our best chance to prove to Putin there is a price to pay for this repression lies with Europe.

The European Parliament is calling for an assets freeze and travel ban on Putin's powerful inner circle who are accused of multiple crimes. Our community is spread across every corner of the world -- if we can push the Europeans to act, it will not only hit Putin's circle hard, as many bank and have homes in Europe, but also counter his anti-Western propaganda, showing him that the whole world is willing to stand up for a free Russia. Click below to support the sanctions and tell everyone:

http://www.avaaz.org...ssia_a/?tQpeSab

Thanks for the link .. this is a cause we should all support .. if they can do it in Russia, then they can do it anywhere ..

[Mr.Habitat]

This has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the corrupt government of russia.

[Sharpshooter]

This has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the corrupt government of russia.

Nothing?

I'd say that religion has been complicit in the State's burgeoning autocracy.

There are shades of Mussolini's Italy that stretch over Russia currently, and the 'Church' has once again found its way in bed with the authoritarians.

[Heretic]

Nothing?

I'd say that religion has been complicit in the State's burgeoning autocracy.

There are shades of Mussolini's Italy that stretch over Russia currently, and the 'Church' has once again found its way in bed with the authoritarians.

So, what are you saying - that religion is controlling the Government of Russia, therefore this fiasco is not Putin's fault nor the rest of the government but only religion's fault?

Or, is the government using religion for their own corrupt needs?