Moscow police are investigating the “No Pants Subway Ride” flashmob that reportedly took place on Sunday, the TASS news agency reported Monday, citing the Moscow police press office.
Law enforcement officers are currently looking for participants of the stunt, which involved several young people riding a subway train wearing no pants.
?€?[The police are] trying to figure out whether their actions can be classified as a misdemeanor,?€? an unidentified spokesperson from the Moscow police headquarters told TASS.
#NoPantsSubwayRide Subway #Moscow 2016 #mosca2016 pic.twitter.com/MeAoA7hjsz
— Zemfira De Virgiliis (@tamerida) January 10, 2016
At the same time an unidentified source at the police told the RIA Novosti state-run news agency that the flashmob participants can be charged with violating laws that regulate public events, and, therefore, might face a fine of 20,000 rubles ($267) or 15 days behind bars.
According to the Moscow Metro press office, unidentified participants of the flashmob took a train on the Dark Green (Zamoskvoretskaya) line, ?€?having undressed to their underwear beforehand.?€?
?€?Despite the popularity of the event in some cities, not everyone is ready to share the motives of its participants and [repeat] their actions. The administration of the Moscow Metro calls on passengers to respect each other and observe generally accepted rules of public behavior,?€? metro spokespeople told TASS.
???? ?????±???‚???µ??????, #NoPantsSubwayRide #Moscow pic.twitter.com/XWi8AW3ibb
?€” technetika (@technetika) January 10, 2016
?€?No Pants Subway Ride?€? is a flashmob event invented by the Improv Everywhere prank group based in New York. According to its official website, in 2016 ?€?tens of thousands of people took off their pants on subways in over 60 cities in over 25 countries around the world.?€?
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.