Pussy Riot rally for Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s release with new song ‘RAGE’
Pussy Riot have shared a video for their new track ‘RAGE’, a political song that calls for the release of Alexei Navalny from jail.
The Russian art collective’s song arrives days after members Masha Alekhina, Viktoria Naraxsa and Lucy Shteyn were arrested in Moscow after attending one of several mass co-ordinated protest in support of the imprisoned Kremlin critic.
According to Pitchfork, Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova and Chris Greatti wrote ‘RAGE’, which is produced by Greatti and Crazy Demxns.
Its accompanying video, which was filmed in February 2020, is directed and edited by Tolokonnikova. Watch it below.
In the YouTube description, Pussy Riot wrote: “We demand the release of a Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, Pussy Riot’s Masha Alekhina, and all political prisoners, we ask the police to stop beating the protesters and stand together with us, we ask Putin and his team to leave the Kremlin ASAP.”
Navalny returned home to Russia last month for the first time since falling critically ill from nerve agent poisoning on a flight in August 2020. He was treated for the attack in a hospital in Berlin, Germany for months.
The Russian opposition politician has accused the Kremlin of the attack, but the Kremlin has repeatedly denied carrying it out. On January 17, Navalny was detained at Sheremetyevo airport, Moscow for allegedly violating parole conditions [via BBC News].
Meanwhile, Pussy Riot’s Masha Alekhina was also arrested last month for protesting against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The activist and musician was reportedly detained for 48 hours and is now a suspect in a criminal case.
Alekhina was one of 3,000 people who were arrested at the protest, which was attended by thousands of people. She is being prosecuted for “violation of sanitary and epidemiological rules” and could face up to two years in prison if she is found guilty.