This message was self-deleted by its author

[dipsydoodle]

This message was self-deleted by its author (dipsydoodle) on Sat Feb 22, 2014, 09:51 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[Systematic Chaos]

1. Be sure to keep us updated on their strip searches while in prison, mmmkay?

[another_liberal]

9. Self-remove your post . . .

And then I'll remove my reply. How's that for a deal?

[Systematic Chaos]

13. I have a better deal for you.

Give me a few minutes and I'll edit this post with a link to exactly why I said what I did. And no, it had nothing to do with porn ferchrissakes.

Okay, here's the thread. Check it out and judge for yourself:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024224435

[another_liberal]

14. Thank you.

I'm glad I was mistaken.

[Systematic Chaos]

17. No problem. People do post a lot of strange stuff here. I had a reason for mine which...

...wasn't obvious.

[msanthrope]

26. Good for you...that thread, where the OP accused PR of lying about forced gynecological

exams, was an eye-opener.

[Systematic Chaos]

31. I read it and felt like I'd just been smacked.

[msanthrope]

35. The defense of Pooty Poot here is sickening. nt

[pampango]

2. "The two women have continued to be outspoken critics of Mr. Putin and the Russian government since

their release on Dec. 23. They had expressed no pleasure in the amnesty program, saying it was intended to portray Mr. Putin as merciful in the days leading up to the Olympics, and that they would have preferred to serve the remaining few weeks of their two-year sentences.

Ms. Tolokonnikova and Ms. Alyukhina were convicted in connection with a protest act that they staged in Moscow’s main cathedral in which they prayed to the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Mr. Putin.

In a series of messages on Twitter, Ms. Tolokonnikova said that the two women had been also been detained on Sunday and Monday. On Monday, she said they were held by the Federal Security Service, known as the F.S.B.

“We are in Sochi to hold a Pussy Riot action,” she wrote. “The song is called, ‘Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland.” However, she said they had not yet carried out any protest and were merely walking in Sochi when they were stopped by the authorities on Tuesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/19/world/europe/pussy-riot.html?_r=0

Even if they had not yet conducted any protest in Sochi, I am sure the security forces know what they look like and suspected they were not in Sochi to watch the Olympics. The alleged "robbery" is a convenient way to get them off the street and prevent any anti-Putin protest.

Apparently their original 2-year sentence was almost up when they were 'amnestied' prior to the Olympics. If they are convicted of a new crime, they could be put away for another long time.

Got to give them credit. They must have known what a chance they were taking by staying in Russia after their release and in going to Sochi.

Thanks for posting this, dipsydoodle.

[Petrushka]

48. "...they prayed to the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Mr. Putin." How precious!

[DetlefK]

4. Reminds of the story about the arrested norwegian journalists in Sochi.

http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/11/05/russia-tv-crew-reporting-sochi-olympics-harassed

A team of norwegian journalists was driving around the countryside around Sochi, asking people what they think about Putin and the Olympics. It didn't take long for the police to arrest them under the charge of being drugged. They took him to the police-station and demanded a blood-test. He phoned the norwegian embassy and they immediately warned him NOT TO TAKE THE BLOOD-TEST BECAUSE THE RUSSIAN POLICE WOULD FABRICATE EVIDENCE.

He refused the blood-test and had to stay a little longer at the polcie-station, until the embassy got him out. He went back to interviewing Russians, but the russian police kept a close eye on him. The people he interviewed said him to his face that they are too afraid to talk.

[another_liberal]

5. I hope they are soon released safely.

One has to suspect these were politically motivated arrests.

[dipsydoodle]

6. Seems to be three : not two arrested

MOSCOW, February 18 (RIA Novosti) – Three members of the anti-Kremlin feminist punk group Pussy Riot said they were arrested in the Russian city of Sochi on Tuesday after arriving in the Olympic host city to record a protest video.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova said on her Twitter account that she, Maria Alyokhina and another female Pussy Riot activist were arrested while walking around the city.

“We’re in Sochi to carry out a Pussy Riot protest. The song is called ‘Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland,’” she wrote.

Tolokonnikova said the three women had been accused of theft, but claimed they had simply been walking in the city at the time of their arrest. She said officers had used force to detain them.

Alexander Popkov, a lawyer who said he would be representing the women, confirmed to RIA Novosti that they had been arrested on suspicion of stealing from a hotel, and said that about 30-40 officers had been involved in their arrest.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140218/187652422/Pussy-Riot-Members-Arrested-in-Sochi.html

[azurnoir]

7. Sadly the only surprise here is not that they were arrested but that was done during the Olympics

rather than after

[cosmicone]

10. Publicity stunt

by a music peddling group.

Going to Sochi after an amnesty to do anti-Putin propaganda is equivalent to a gorilla in captivity flinging poo at visitors to the zoo. If you're so anti-Putin, don't accept the amnesty deal instead and stay in jail.

Hope they will sell more crappy music after this latest stunt.

[another_liberal]

11. One does not have to sing particularly well to be an effective protest.

Millions of people around the World support Pussy Riot in their self-sacrificing crusade against corruption in the Russian government and in the Russian Orthodox church.

[cosmicone]

12. Sells music doesn't it?

Had you even heard of pussy riot before their anti-Putin shenanigans began?

Even the name is a marketing ploy.

They would have my respect if they stopped peddling music and protested as individuals. As long as they are selling music and going to high publicity places like Sochi, it is a publicity stunt.

[bitchkitty]

15. Oh, sure - they risk years in a Russian prison,

just to sell more music. I'm sure you're right...

[H2O Man]

16. I had heard

of Pussy Riot before the anti-Putin campaign. And I think they are outstanding.

[another_liberal]

18. I don't know anything about their financial success, or lack thereof.

I do, however, admire anyone who would spend years in a Russian prison camp, and, when released, continue to protest the corrupt elites whose greed they initially went to prison for opposing.

[EX500rider]

51. I 2nd that....if they just wanted $ they would be in the US. n/t

[another_liberal]

61. They truly walk the walk . . .

How many of us can say the same?

[Jefferson23]

62. +1

[TBF]

19. Nice defense of Putin.

[pampango]

20. If they were just interested in the money, they would be touring Europe and the US rather than

protesting Putin in Russia. I suspect that a few more years in Russian prisons is not a price most of us would pay to sell a few records. Plus they were arrested BEFORE they did anything. They were arrested because of who they were and where they were. That sounds fair.

[ProfessorGAC]

28. They Were Just in The US

They were on Jon Stewart's show. So, if they were interested in money, they would have stayed here. I think they might be motivated to go back because, you know, they're Russian.

[Capt. Obvious]

21. MLK loved publicity stunts too

He should have just stayed in jail instead of having JFK try to get him out.

Really, you can plug just about any protester into your statement and it works perfectly.

[LynneSin]

29. It would be a good theory if Pussy Riot actually had albums for sale

They have yet to release any of their music for sale. Pussy Riot isn't a band but a protest group that uses music as a form of protest.

[El_Johns]

38. so one wonders how they fund that lifestyle.

[LynneSin]

39. Well I don't think any of them are living in the Lap of Luxury

They have fans who help pay their legal fees and bring them to events but I suspect they aren't getting wealthy off of this. These supporters aren't doing it for their music but their cause.

[El_Johns]

40. Didn't say they were living in the lap of luxury. Said they have no visible means of support but

somehow manage to do world travel to support their protest activities.

To put it clearly, they are professional protesters.

When I see stuff like that, I want to know who's funding it.

[LynneSin]

41. They aren't professional protestors

Their protests started way before they made it to the limelight. And their so-called 'world tour' was people who wanted to showcase the human rights violations going on in Russia. Sorry you don't seem to agree with them and want to belittle what these women are doing.

[El_Johns]

42. They don't seem to do anything else to support themselves. They're either professional protesters

or trust funders.

And the group was founded 8/11, not too long before the church performance (2/12) that netted them international attention -- barely half a year before. So no, they didn't exist "way before" they became well-known.

[LynneSin]

43. Yes let's just let Putin get away with his human rights violations

If protesters aren't in complete starvation then I guess they aren't worthy in your book.

I'm just grateful that there are people out there that help these women voice what is happening in Russia. Shame you'd rather keep them silenced and let the human rights violations go unchecked.

[El_Johns]

45. Doesn't constitute a reply to what I wrote and puts words in my mouth to boot. I repeat: they have

no visible means of support, so who is funding them?

[dipsydoodle]

32. You'd get better music from an elastic band.

.

[Marrah_G]

33. Fuck human rights, they should sit down and shut up, right?

They should just be happy they are out and go hide in a closet, right?

[LynneSin]

44. I think if the protesters aren't staving to the point of death then they aren't worthy...

that's the impression I'm getting from some folks here at DU.

Shameful isn't it and btw +1 for your comment!

[Marrah_G]

46. I am left shaking my heads some days Lynne.

[LynneSin]

47. You and me both

who cares what these women make or if they are doing it to 'promote' something. They are a voice that we need to hear. We need more people like them in the states!

[awoke_in_2003]

37. they don't sell records. nt

[Berlum]

22. This will play out badly for Pooty Poot (R - RuskiStyle). Me thinks.

[diabeticman]

23. Olympics are coming to an end so Russia has to make sure they round up the all the people they

"released" as good will gestures.


We will see more of these type of "Charges".

[davidpdx]

24. I'm surprised the Russian Government let them in that area

I guess with the amount of people it would be hard to keep them out. So much for Putin and his iron thumb.

[msanthrope]

25. I await the Snowden/Greenwald protest of this. nt

[KinMd]

27. Putin's a gutless little thug isn't he?

[Tom Rinaldo]

30. Sure, they went to Sochi to steal things

because, you know, security is so lax around Sochi that they thought it would be easy pickings. And besides, even if the Russians did have a few security agents in the area they wouldn't be paying attention to a couple of punk rock women, would they? And even if they did what's the big deal anyway? It's not like anyone would send them to Siberia in chains for some minor infraction.

[Eugene]

34. Members of Pussy Riot released in Sochi

Source: CNN

Members of Pussy Riot released in Sochi

By Nick Paton Walsh and Tom Watkins, CNN
February 18, 2014 -- Updated 1508 GMT (2308 HKT)

Sochi, Russia (CNN) -- Two members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot were detained briefly Tuesday in central Sochi, after apparently being considered suspects in a theft at their hotel, and then released.

"A survey in connection with the theft at the Hotel Adler is completed, there is no claim against those questioned," police said in a prepared statement.

Earlier in the day, band members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova were meeting with journalists when police detained them, according to Tolokonnikova's husband, Petr Verzilov. Russian media corroborated the report.

"They were put to the floor and beaten and physical force was used to them when they refused to be questioned without the presence of their lawyer, who was on his way to the police department," Verzilov told reporters.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/18/world/europe/russia-pussy-riot-arrests/

[pampango]

36. They "were meeting with journalists when police detained them ... put to the floor and beaten and

physical force was used to them when they refused to be questioned without the presence of their lawyer ..."

Protesting against Putin (or just talking to journalists about protesting against Putin) requires a high pain threshold.

[Recursion]

49. Much like with Femen, I tend to look a little sideways at PR

That said, the local law enforcement may actually be this stupid...

[Jefferson23]

50. They have a terrible government...wishing them all the strength they will need. Sanctions, asap

for what Putin intends to enact after the games.

[dipsydoodle]

52. Sanctions?

You want to risk losing the supply of gas to more or less the whole of Europe ?

[Jefferson23]

53. Supply of gas is the only form of sanctions available in your opinion?

[dipsydoodle]

54. That's a possible effect : not a form.

Aside from that I can't think of any likely reason for sanctions.

[Jefferson23]

55. The possible effect from any sanction..you are presuming there would be nothing

that could be waged to deter the Russian government from their policies?

I am surprised you believe that. They may very well be initiating a much more
forceful form of gay rights restrictions to parents who have children, after the
games are completed. The children could be removed, literally, from their parents.

Obama did an excellent job of equating their human rights abuses with third
world nations..something the world is not shocked to see engaged in such
practices. World wide, for all their governments corruption, they as yet, were
not viewed as low as third world nations, but they will be when these laws come to be.

Russian government should not be considered immune from sanctions.

[dipsydoodle]

57. I meant trade sanctions

which would actually prohibit the EU buying gas from Russia.

Russia's anti propaganda laws are are hardly likely to lead to sanctions. They'd been in place in many of their 83 federations for years prior to last July when they were seemingly only noticed due to the law becoming federal. Even if the federal law was revoked the regional laws would remain - they were tested in Russia Supreme Court in December and found not to contravene Russia's constitution. The foregoing is not a matter of approval - just a simple statement of fact.

[Jefferson23]

58. Am I following you correctly, are you suggesting their laws as passed do not

conflict with human rights laws..international laws?

[dipsydoodle]

59. I didn't say anything of the sort.

Meta no longer exists so don't try that stunt.

I said that the laws were already in place in a large number of the federations. That was why the Duma vote was carried 294 :1

[Jefferson23]

60. What stunt? You make yourself less than clear. What does any of that have to do with

their government being held accountable?

[AverageJoe90]

56. Russia's Dubya, on steroids.....

A megalomanical incompetent even more foolhardy than DimSon.....