Russian punk rockers Pussy Riot have claimed responsibility for a pitch invasion at today’s World Cup final in Moscow.
Four members of the anarchist group ran onto the pitch, stopping play during the 52nd minute of the Croatia v France game. Two reached the middle of the pitch.
The group have been vocal critics of President Vladimir Putin – who watched in shirtsleeves as police swiftly rounded up the intruders and dragged them into detention.
The four protestors from the Russian punk group Pussy Riot interrupted play during the final
A member of the group is carried off the pitch in Moscow during the World Cup final
The stage invasion took place in front of Putin, who was watching from a box
The mainly female group were dressed as police officers to protest arrests made at rallies
Croatia defender Dejan Lovren pushed a male protester, helping a steward to detain him.
Before being hauled away, one woman managed to reach the center of the field and share a double high-five with France forward Kylian Mbappe, who had a shot saved a minute earlier.
One of the protesters was reported to be well known Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 28, jailed in 2012 for ‘hooliganism’ after an anti-Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.
Among their demands were ‘to release all political prisoners’ and ‘stop illegal arrests at rallies’. They also called for an end to fabricating criminal cases and jailing protesters.
The final was delayed after the pitch invasion at the World Cup final at the Luzhniki Stadium
Pussy Riot band member Nadya Tolokonnikova was arrested by Russian police for sewing in public in support of female political prisoners
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and fellow protestor Ekaterina Nenasheva finished sewing at the police station
In a statement released just moments after the group appeared on the pitch, the group explained their motives: ‘NEWS FLASH! Just a few minutes ago four Pussy Riot members performed in the FIFA World Cup final match — ‘Policeman enters the Game”.
‘Today is 11 years since the death of the great Russian poet, Dmitriy Prigov. Prigov created an image of a policeman, a carrier of the heavenly nationhood, in the russian culture.’
Their statement also referenced the case of Oleg Sentsov, a vocal opponent of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, who was sentenced in 2015 to 20 years for conspiracy to commit terror acts. He denies the charges and has been on a hunger strike since mid-May.
Their statement also referenced the case of Oleg Sentsov, a vocal opponent of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, who was sentenced in 2015 to 20 years for conspiracy to commit terror acts. He denies the charges and has been on a hunger strike since mid-May.
One of the four, Olga Kurachyova, confirmed to Reuters that she had been detained by the police, adding she was in a police station at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium.
The group have been the target of nationalist Cossack militia. Pictured: Maria Alekhina (left) helps Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (right) up after they and other members of the punk group were attacked by about a dozen militiamen outside a restaurant in downtown Sochi, Russia
Pussy Riot’s knitted, colourful balaclavas have become a symbol of protest in Russia
Pussy Riot is a loose collective, most members of which are anonymous.
The balaclava-clad women rose to prominence in 2012 with their daring outdoor performances aimed against President Vladimir Putin and the ruling elite.
But it was an impromptu ‘punk prayer’ at Moscow’s main Cathedral of Christ the Savior, decrying close ties between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin, that got them into trouble.
Three band members were convicted of ‘hooliganism motivated by religious hatred’ for that stunt, and two of them including Alyokhina were sentenced to two years in prison.
The group previous called for a boycott of the Sochi Winter Olympics. They insister at that time that any world leader who went to Sochi would be giving their tacit approval of Mr Putin’s heavy-handed policies.