Pussy Riot Supports U.S. Protesters

By The Moscow Times

March 12, 2014

MADISON, Wisconsin — Members of the punk band Pussy Riot are calling on Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to dismiss cases against protesters arrested for singing in the Capitol building.

Two group members appear in a video released Tuesday calling for a petition to drop the more than 400 arrests made last summer.

Protesters have sung in the Capitol rotunda nearly every day since 2011. The singing started during massive protests against Governor Scott Walker's plan to take away public workers' collective bargaining rights.

Pussy Riot has gained notoriety for protesting against oppressive rule by the Russian government. Members of the group have spent time in jail on several occasions, most recently during the Winter Olympics in Sochi.

A Van Hollen spokeswoman questioned the group's comparison of Wisconsin to Russia.

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