Given that punk rock had been pigeonholed as an inherently
political music genre, did the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot ever have a
chance of a fair trial in Vladimir Putin’s Russia?
By: Ringo Bones
Punk rock aficionados will be sure to agree that it is a
highly political genre of music since it gained a modicum of mainstream fame
during the mid 1970s. Who can ever forget the Sex Pistols’ God Save the Queen –
a somewhat harsh polemic of HRH Queen Elizabeth II that became an anthem for
“Generation-X”? But the question now is, will the Marxist-Leninist Socialism
inspired protest against social injustice in Vladimir Putin’s Russia by the
Russian punk rock band called Pussy riot forever shape the perception of how
the international community sees the inherent lack of freedom of expression in
Russian society this day and age?
The rather harsh sentencing of the three members of Pussy
Riot over their anti Vladimir Putin protest inside Moscow’s main cathedral had
attracted international condemnation not just of Pussy riot’s loyal fans but
also of the British and US governments and also of the EU. Guilty of
hooliganism or not, one is left to wonder whether sentencing the three members
of Pussy Riot to two years a harsh labor camp could eventually put a dent on
Russia’s tourism revenue. With an inherent lack of the rule of law, who knows
what passes as “hooliganism” in Vladimir Putin’s Russia these days? Prospective
tourist could be steering clear of Russia from their travel itinerary in
droves.
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