Death to Prison, Freedom to Protest
December 14, 2011
Today, December 14, the Pussy Riot group performed on the roof of special detention center No. 1, where those arrested after the protests that took place in early December following the elections to the State Duma are being held. We performed the song “Death to prison, freedom to protest,” in which we call for peacefully seizing squares and freeing political prisoners from prison.
Varlamov wrote that our concert was dedicated to Navalny , but this is not true. The performance, held under the slogan “Freedom to Protest”, was dedicated to ALL protesters who were arrested – Matvey “Skif” Krylov, who went on a hunger strike, Filipp Kostenko and other St. Petersburg anarchists, LGBT activist Pavel Samburov, Pyotr Verzilov, Ilya Yashin, Vsevolod Chernozub, Igor Gukovsky and all other prisoners for political reasons.
The Pussy Riot musicians, as progressive citizens of Russia, participated in all protest events that took place in the country since December 4. A huge number of people came to the rally on December 10, but the most important thing now is to understand that this is not a victory, but only the very beginning of the struggle. And in order to push Putin and his United Russia party aside, we still need to work very hard for a long time.
In the song we performed on the roof of the detention center, Pussy Riot presented their understanding of protest. Firstly, it should be without fucking leaders. Now many are waiting for the arrival of a new leader, a father-king, who will solve all their problems for them. The arrival of the new godfather adored by everyone is fraught with the prolongation of the era of authoritarianism in our country. Recent events, including December 10, show that people are ready to make decisions on their own and they no longer need a father-leader. We believe that this is an important shift in the political history of Russia.
Secondly, we call for adhering to the tactics of peacefully seizing streets and squares, as well as the cops and police machines guarding them. We, citizens, can always, without asking permission from Putin’s gang, hold a non-violent meeting in a square or a street march. Let’s use this opportunity more often!
Thirdly, it is very important not to forget about the LGBT and feminist communities, who, together with everyone else, are fighting against the current political regime in Russia.
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
Arriving at the place of the performance, we saw a cordon around the special detention center, a riot police bus, a traffic police car, and a car with plainclothes officers. Nevertheless, we decided to perform anyway.
Today, meanwhile, our new soloist, militant feminist Serafima, made her debut. She immediately declared: “Cops, not cops… We’ll perform!”
We got out the slogan “FREEDOM TO PROTEST” and placed it right on the barbed wire surrounding the detention center. The surprised employees’ heads started to stick out of the windows. Apparently, there had never been a music concert at the detention center before.
A policeman came up from the yard behind us and started demanding that we come down. Several plainclothes officers appeared from there – either the “E” center or the police – and began to carefully record what was happening on camera.
While we were chanting “Death to prison, freedom to protest! Freedom to political prisoners”, all the prisoners began to look out of the cell windows. They quickly picked up our slogans, and the special detention center began to shake from the screams of the prisoners. The bars of the building began to shake – they tried to break them down with their hands.
When it came to the lines “Make the cops serve freedom… Take away the machine guns from all the cops,” several police officers entered the building and closed the door tightly behind them.
By the end of our performance, we began to shout together with the prisoners: “Putin to the soap!”, “As long as we are united, we will not be defeated.”
After the concert, we calmly went down our miracle staircase and got lost in the courtyards. The operatives must have gone to buy some buns at the nearest store, and so we left unnoticed.
LYRICS OF THE SONG “Death to prison, freedom to protest”
The cheerful science of seizing squares
Everyone’s will to power, without fucking leaders
Direct action is the future of humanity,
LGBT, feminists, defend the fatherland!
Death to prison, freedom to protest!
Make the cops serve freedom,
Protests lead to good weather
Occupy the square, make a peaceful takeover
Take away the machine guns from all the cops
Death to prison, freedom to protest!
Fill the city, all the squares, streets,
There are many of them in Russia, put away the oysters
Open all the doors, take off your shoulder straps
Feel the smell of freedom with us
Death to prison, freedom to protest!