Pussy Riot Perform “Refugees In” At Banksy’s Dismaland

Pussy Riot performs new single “Refugees In” during the last weekend of Banksy’s “bemusement park” Dismaland.

Dismaland has wrapped up its last weekend and Banksy sent off his “bemusement park” with a bang. He invited musical guests like Damon Albarn, De La Soul, and Pussy Riot to light up his stage one more time. Massive attack were originally scheduled to perform but canceled before the show and De La Soul stepped in as a replacement with Albarn as a special guest.

Playing from within a cage, Pussy Riot’s set involved a very theatrical approach that was more on the side of Broadway than anything else. The debuted their new single “Refugees In” by including a fake riot between police and protesters. There were several different scenes of police arresting activists or activists overcoming the police; all while the performers were locked away inside a big cage. The performance can be seen below.

This act was meant to symbolize the difference between the governments approach to the refugees crusts and the public sentiment. The Russian Punk band/political activists will be taking a firm stance on the refugee crisis and this performance was the beginning of that. They have plans to visit a refugee camp in Calais, France called “The Jungle” with The Connor Brothers, collaborators on the project. This visit will be to offer support to the Syrian refugees that have all fled to Europe to seek safety.

“Regardless of ones political views we have a moral duty to offer refuge to people fleeing war and persecution,” Pussy Riot said in statement to Rolling Stone. “We recognize the challenge faced by Europe in accepting hundreds of thousands of displaced people, but this is more than a political challenge – it is a humanitarian crisis and as such we must act together and rise to the challenge. Having experienced persecution during the 2 years we spent in a Russian prison and repeated incidents of attack by Russian authorities we feel solidarity with those who suffer under oppressive regimes, and believe we have a moral duty to press governments into developing a united and comprehensive plan that puts humanity before politics.”