The Arrest of Pussy Riot

This week in class we watched a documentary on the band Pussy Riot. I found the documentary extremely interesting and I learned a lot about a band that I had never heard of before. While watching, I was interested to learn that the band was arrested for performing in a church. Although I did know that they were arrested, I did not know why. Before their arrest, the band had performed in other places as a form of protest against the government, and before the band was formed a few of the members were actively involved in other protests. Their acts certainly gained a lot of attention, both good and bad, from the government and public. While many were disgusted by the lyrics and ways that the group performed, there were also people who were in full support and even went as far to have their own protest performances.

            After the arrest of the band, the trail gained a lot of attention from the press and fueled a movement to release them not only in Russia but many other western countries. There were riots and songs written about the trial and the unfairness of it. The initial bail hearing denied the girls of bail and the trail to follow would sentence them for two years in jail for committing a crime that was never proven to be a true crime. 

            One thing that I thought to myself while watching the documentary was how lucky we are to have a justice system that is based on more than just the government’s opinion. In the United States the things that happened during the trail for the members of Pussy Riot would be considered unjust and unlawful. Once they were released from jail the band continued to make music that can be considered controversial and they are still performing today.