Moscow: Russian police on Saturday detained a punk
group on Red Square after they performed a protest song
criticising Vladimir Putin next to Saint Basil's Cathedral.
Eight members of an all-girl punk group called Pussy Riot
wearing brightly coloured minidresses and balaclavas climbed
over railings onto a stone platform next to the cathedral to
sing a song called "Putin Has Pissed Himself."
Police stood by while the band performed the song before
detaining all the members and taking them to the nearby
Kitai-Gorod police station.
Four members were later charged with the non-criminal
public order offences and disobeying police, carrying a
maximum punishment of 15 days behind bars, one of the band
members, who uses the nickname Garadzha Matveyeva, said by
telephone.
The band earlier in December gave a roof-top concert next
to the police cell where protest leader and blogger Alexei
Navalny was serving a short sentence and has also performed in
the Moscow metro.
PTI
First Published: Friday, January 20, 2012, 23:50