Vladimir Putin’s favorite band to hate–and imprison–is stepping into the English-language market with a bang. Pussy Riot has just released a song and video inspired by the choking death of Eric Garner by New York police officers last year. The song is entitled “I Can’t Breathe.”
In the video, band members?Nadya Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina are shown lying in a grave and are then buried alive. They are also wearing Russian police uniforms.?Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina said in a statement that the meaning of the song and video should be perfectly clear:
“Pussy Riot’s first English song is dedicated to those who can no longer breathe. ?Those words are his (Garner’s), but we hope they can also stand for us and for many around the world, for all who can’t breathe because authorities act with impunity in using power to humiliate, intimidate, hurt, kill, and oppress.”
Band members also said the video is meant to be a protest against Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, which continue in spite of a ceasefire.
?Since last spring we have been living in a condition of war and hatred towards the rest of the world that the Kremlin called the ‘Russian Spring’? a bloody war in Ukraine, fueled and controlled by Russia, a civilian plane that was shot down by a rocket that killed hundreds of people from around the world ? a lot of our plans and artistic conceptions were changed by news from the war zone that was arriving daily.?
Three members of the all-female band spent two years in Russian prisons–among the worst in the world–for attacking the actions of Putin and the Russian government. Russian media continually portrays the band as agents of the West, especially the United States.
With this crossover into English, the band seems determined to make sure the world outside of Russia not only knows the name of their band but also their feelings on issues which hit close to home for Americans.
Watch the “I Can’t Breathe” video!
