Recommendations of the Editorial team
Pussy Riot showed solidarity on the “No Kings” day and took part in a march in Los Angeles on Saturday. They took part in the demonstration with a red banner at the stand: “It’s starting to look a lot Russia”.
The march in downtown Los Angeles attracted about 20,000 people and was one of 2,000 places where “No Kings” protests took place against the president. This had sent the National Guard and the Marine Corps to LA to protest his aggressive raids from the ICE immigration and customs authority. The protests took place on the same day when Trump organized an expensive military parade in Washington, DC on his 79th birthday.
Exhibition “Police State” moved
The “Police State” installation of Pussy-Riot co-founder Nadja Tolokonnikowa in the Geffen Contemporary at Moca was postponed on Sunday when the national guard was sent.
“Due to the developing conditions in the city center of Los Angeles and the proximity of the Gift Contemporary at Moca, the museum has decided to adapt its opening times and event plans out of concern for the safety of personnel and visitors,” said the Moca on its website.
The ten -day exhibition was originally supposed to end tomorrow with a panel discussion and a performance of “Siberia”. The new dates have not yet been announced.
Political statement by Pussy Riot
In a statement on the participation of Pussy Riot on the “No Kings” march, Tolokonnikowa reflected on Russia and the current state of the world in relation to their exhibition.
“It’s not quite a criminal colony here. But a transition home,” she said. “Again and again when I write a statement or a song, a demon whispers to me on my left shoulder. ‘How much is too much? Will the prison be brought in. Or not yet?’ The answer is – if the law is not used, but – selectively and arbitrarily – that are not a lawyer.
Tolokonnikowa said she refused to leave her home country. Until she realized: “If I stay, I will spend the rest of my life behind bars.” She added that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised “security and stability”. Instead, however, leads “the bloodiest war in modern Europe”.
Feeling of the state of emergency
“It starts to feel very much to Russia. Wherever you go,” she said.
“My job as an artist is to interpret these feelings. I have felt this tingling for a while. That’s why I did the exhibition Police State,” she said. “The walls close. The camera systems receive AI-upgrades. You have to censor what you say. Otherwise hooded men appear at home, at work or in the church. One day when I left the museum, I stepped into a real police state. Rows of police officers attacked peaceful demonstrators.”
“You could say it is my first artistic cooperation with the US military,” she concluded. “Now we are on the street. And protest together with people who believe that immigrants make America great.”