Pussy Riot have released “1312” featuring Parcas, Dillom and Muerjoven as an anthem against police brutality. The song is inspired by 2019 protests in Chile and the band’s own experience with being arrested when standing up for their rights.
The 2019 protests in Chile centered on inequality, social injustice and high cost of living. Violent clashes between the protestors and police led to 30 dead and thousands injured, 445 of which were eye injuries from police weapons, resulting in 34 people being blinded. 2 million women were expected to attend the protests in Chile for Women’s Day last March, now fighting for women’s justice.
“1312” is Pussy Riot’s reflection of the movements in Chile, moving into a heavier sound with thrashing guitars and throated screams to help express their anger. Including a more heavy metal sound, they speak on the police brutality seen last year. The end of the song moves into a latin-rap flow as Muerjoven asks for prayers as people express their rights to protest.
The video includes animated imagery of bouncing police cars and neon lights. Strobes dance across the stream as the lyrics “All my friends are dead” is shown. The video moves through an animated cemetery where the graves are all lit on fire. Riots begin as the Reggaeton comes in, the police cars coming closer towards them as they dance while a baton is brought out towards them.
Parcas, Dillom and Muerjoven all contribute to the track with various lyrics. Parcas is an artist from Argentina and the founder of the movement Death Crew, a musical and audiovisual collective. Dillom, also from Argentina found his musical start in underground punk movements and would make beats in a recording studio in La Villa 31. Meurejoven adds a reggaeton influence to the track, leading the rap at the end.
“Here in Pussy Riot we experienced police batons and have been imprisoned ourselves,” the band said in a statement. “And we want to express solidarity together with our Latin American sisters, brothers and non-binary people, who keep standing up for their rights in the face of everyday danger of being slaughtered by those who’re in power. We’re stoked that Argentinian artists Parcas, Dillom and Muereejovan joined us in this international activist song.”
Along with the release of “1312,” Pussy Riot included a Manifesto Against Police Violence with Lastesis. The included video shows members of Pussy Riot standing together in red overalls and black masks as they wave flags and move around various landmark locations in Valparaíso, Chile. The manifesto includes a list of problems found in police forces, while also offering possible solutions. It was co-written and co-performed by feminists from Mexico, Chile and Russia, the audio spoken in Spanish while providing English subtitles.
“1. Refocus police forces towards protection of the civilians instead of oppression and violent suppression of our rights to express and demand what our communities need,” the manifesto reads.
“2. We are here to hold the police forces accountable for every act of violence against civilians. Nothing will go unnoticed.
“3. We demand that if the police show up at the demonstration, they protect our right to speak our minds freely, act respectfully and peacefully.
“4. We are the many, they are the few. We stand together with Chilean protesters, we are women who want to be safe while marching for female rights with Las Tesis. We express our solidarity with Argentinian, Chilean, Mexican, Colombian, Brazilian, Peruvian, and all Latin American sisters and street fighters who only want to have a damn right to be in charge of their bodies and their reproductive system (but only get police batons in response).
“5. Police forces in Latin America and Russia need to be urgently re-trained to focus on protecting women’s rights, LGBTQ+ community, and the rights of alternatively able people.”
Pussy Riot also released a statement on Twitter about the police brutality seen in the United States. The band’s first song in English had been dedicated to Eric Garner titled “I Can’t Breathe,” released back in 2015.
“Police goals have been to help people to deal with social & economical problems, not to punish them and kill for no reason, as they just killed George Floyd,” the band said in a Tweet. “The government and police are our servants. Too often they forget about it and think that it’s us who’r here to serve em.”
The statement the band made on Twitter is also included in the video description for “1312,” with the band adding they believe social workers should be put in charge of police institutions as a way to begin changing the current system.
Members of Pussy Riot have previously been sentenced to two years imprisonment after protesting Putin in a performance at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. When their members were released in 2014, the group launched Mediazona, an independent Russian media agency focusing on law enforcement issues which is free from censorship. They have spoken before the US Congress, the British Parliament and the European Parliament as they’ve fought for activism.
Pussy Riot had also faced police intervention while shooting music video for their song “БЕСИТ / RAGE.” Police shut down the shoot, stating they were making an “extremist” and “illegal” video, citing Russia’s gay propaganda law as the cause for the interruption. The law was ruled illegal by the European Court of Human Rights in 2017. The group also took aim at abortion laws in their video for “Hangerz.”
Photo credit: Brett Padelford
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