In Moscow’s Bolotnaya Square, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Russian feminist punk protest collective Pussy Riot was detained while staging a protest in support of female prisoners
Tolokonnikova is a former prison inmate who served two years for “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred or hostility.” An active voice in opposition to the Russian government, she has been arrested on multiple occasions.
Widely known for her political protests and unapologetic resistance, Tolokonnikova made today — Russia Day, a national holiday in commemoration of the 1992 Russian Federation creation and a day with a history of public upheaval — no exception.
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“We decided to present our own image of the country,” Tolokonnikova told Newsweek. “Two girls in prison robes sewing a flag.”
Stitching together fabric strips of Russian flag colors (white, blue and red) to spell out “Prison Camp Russia”, she and fellow activist Katherine Nenasheva were interrupted by police. According to Newsweek, Tolokonnikova and Nenasheva “sat in the square for three minutes before police agents approached them and told them to stop.”
After ignoring the request, the two were photographed being dragged into the back of a police van and were held at a police station for several hours. They were released without charges.