Pussy Riot has released a new song and video, “Track About Good Cop” in light of their protest at the World Cup this past weekend in Moscow, Russia demanding political prisoners to be released. Four members of the group (Veronica “Nika” Nikulshina, Olga Kuracheva, Olga Pakhtusova, Petya Verzilo) were briefly arrested following the protest. They were sentenced to 15 days in Russian jail and are prohibited from attending any sports event for three years. After the arrest, the group issued a list of demands to the Russian government.
The new song follows their songs “Elections” released on election day in Russia, and “Bad Apples” with a statement that read “Hey comrades. Hope you are not going to like our new track, since it’s dedicated to really disgusting things, hope you will turn it off, go out, and act.”
“Track About Good Cop” is a balance of pop and dance music, with the lyrics relating to a statement the group had made after their protest. The video, on the other hand, shows a few men and one woman dressed in police uniforms dancing in different locations including a police car and a snow-covered house.
A statement was made about the song in a press release, stating “This track is a utopian dream about alternative political reality in which instead of arresting activists and putting them in jail cops are joining activists. The world where cops got rid of homophobia, stopped the war on drugs and actually understood that it’s much better to be joyful and nice to people.” The song is also released on the same day the European Court of Human Rights condemned Russia for its severe treatment of the group after protesting at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow to perform their song, “Punk Prayer.”
The group previously protested in Siberia last year on behalf of Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov’s imprisonment. Members Masha Alekhina and Olya Borisova were detained in response to their protest.
Photo Credit: Brett Padelford
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