# Pussy Riot will topple Putin; mark my words! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826 "2012-08-08T04:45:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/101 "2012-10-11T01:36:53Z")
> [@An\_Arky](#): > > Obviously, [Nadezhda Tolokonnikova](http://www.flickr.com/photos/aleshru/7718342398/lightbox/) needs my help breaking out of the slammer and will be highly appreciative of my chivalry. Go! Be her Cossack in shining…uh, lambs wool? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/102 "2012-10-11T01:42:16Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Don’t worry, **Bricker** ; I know you well enough by now to know when you are only commenting on the legality of something, not offering your personal opinion. > > I’m not sure that what they did would necessarily be a crime here, tho. In my experience, a church is open and available when not in service. I’ve walked around and all over churches, including the altar area, without being hassled or getting dirty looks or anything. > > And these 3 women are, in fact, ready to go to jail if they have to. They see it as further confirmation of the righteousness of their cause. > > Their lawyers are being threatened with criminal charges for defending them, or at least with being disbarred, tho; that’s not right in any sense of the word. > > Sentencing is now set for 17 August. The maximum penalty is 7 years in a labor camp; prosecutors have asked for 3 years. > > Compare that with what happened at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC way back in 1989: > > Thousands of people (7,000 or so, according to the article below) were outside the church protesting the Catholic church’s stance on AIDS and abortion rights. When service began, a couple dozen went inside and actually did disrupt the service. Police eventually arrested 111 people. And then they were sentenced to death for their actions! Ha ha; just kidding! 😛 > [url=[Decades Before Pussy Riot, U.S. Group Protested Catholic Church -- With Results](http://www.rferl.org/content/before-pussy-riot-act-up-confronted-church-and-won/24668230.html)] It is pointless to make the comparison. So, NY doesn’t give a crap about a bunch of freaks disrupting/intimidating people in a church service. Maybe Russians do. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/103 "2012-10-11T01:55:02Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Regardless of the witnesses, they themselves admit to being the performers. So as ludicrous as the identification of calf muscles is, it’s cumulative: there’s no need for any other witnesses to identify them; they admit their presence. > > So? > > Well, frankly, I’m not even sure I agree that “inciting religious hatred” should be a crime. As far as I’m concerned, they are free to stand on the corner and advise all persons that pass that, in their opinion, the Patriarch Kirill and President Putin are both degenerate idiots who would best serve society by digging septic tank ditches, and the Orthodox Church is spitting in the eye of Jesus by endorsing Putin. > > So what I’m pointing out here is that while I applaud their interest in free speech, stealing someone else’s pulpit to make your speech effective is not something we, the bastion of the free speech world, generally permit. This is one way of looking at it. I certainly have no problem with somebody saying that \*Islam \*is a sure path to hell. I also believe that they did something horribly wrong with going into a church to do this (Same would be true if it were a mosque). “Whoo hoo! Aren’t they the daring iconoclasts! sneak into a church, where old, sedate people are, and start acting bad!” If they wanted political change, they would have gone to a police station, or a military base, or the Duma. To go into a church and pull this is worthy of a charge of hooliganism. I don’t doubt that inciting religious hatred was a fair charge, since their law allows it. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/104 "2013-12-18T17:11:38Z")
The two Pussy Riot members still in prison will be released as part of an amnesty: > **[Russian lawmakers approve amnesty that could affect Pussy Riot, Greenpeace...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-lawmakers-approve-amnesty-that-could-affect-pussy-riot-greenpeace-activists/2013/12/18/fb803abe-67fc-11e3-8b5b-a77187b716a3_story.html)** > > The measure clears the way for the release of jailed punk-band members and pardons for Greenpeace crew. It doesn’t look they toppled Putin, OP. But the band should be able to get big bucks for their performances and recordings now. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/105 "2013-12-18T18:43:58Z")
So what is Putin up to these days? His regime _must_ have toppled by now; the OP promised. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/106 "2013-12-18T22:11:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > So what is Putin up to these days? His regime _must_ have toppled by now; the OP promised. He seems to be barely holding on from the vicious though justified and righteous onslaught of the punk rock and metal communities… (And the feline ruction of course) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/107 "2013-12-23T09:25:10Z")
It’s official! [Pussy Riot member Alyokhina released from jail in Russia!](http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/23/us-russia-pussyriot-release-idUSBRE9BM02920131223) Putin Toppled! um, right? ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/108 "2013-12-23T11:18:32Z")
Baby steps. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/109 "2013-12-23T17:10:48Z")
Pussy footing. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/110 "2013-12-26T08:14:32Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > So what is Putin up to these days? His regime _must_ have toppled by now; the OP promised. I think it was a double-secret toppling! ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/111 "2013-12-26T12:04:07Z")
Let’s go to [Udachnaya Pipe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Udachnaya_pipe.JPG) and topple Putin down there! ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/112 "2013-12-27T09:30:51Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Let’s go to [Udachnaya Pipe](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Udachnaya_pipe.JPG) and… That name frightens me more than Pussy Riot. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/113 "2013-12-27T15:11:11Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > That name frightens me more than Pussy Riot. I, for one, would like to thank Pussy Riot for naming themselves “Pussy Riot” so that I can giggle like the 9 year old boy I still am inside every time I hear NPR newsreaders say “pussy” on the air. I’d also like to encourage them to change their name to, I dunno, maybe Pussy Cuntlapper Shitfuck Asshole Cock Johnson Riot so that newsreaders will get to say more interesting words on the air. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/114 "2013-12-27T15:36:01Z")
Then the newsreaders would say ‘The band formerly known as Pussy Riot’. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/115 "2018-07-15T18:01:43Z")
[They crashed the friggin’ World Cup, right in front of Putin!](https://apnews.com/b0c92d4b30b94c1b8352902ddbf2a419/France-wins-2nd-World-Cup-title,-beats-Croatia-4-2) [Video here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkVOWIIOHr0). [They put out a statement on Twitter](https://twitter.com/pussyrrriot/status/1018535251264638976); it’s lengthy and talks about oppression by the police. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/116 "2018-07-15T18:08:16Z")
This thread is so old that they need to change their name to “Babushka Riot”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/117 "2018-07-15T20:45:56Z")
I guess for the last four years they’ve been Pussy Quiet. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/118 "2018-07-16T14:13:19Z")
Gotta give them credit for bravery, daring to disrupt the final right in front of Putin, knowing they could be tortured to death for doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/119 "2018-07-16T15:31:17Z")
Six years later, Putin now rules the Crimea and the United States. Also still has Russia. It’s taking longer than we thought. ---
**Author:** ![popomomo\_cocoyoyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@popomomo\_cocoyoyo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/popomomo_cocoyoyo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826/120 "2018-07-16T18:23:58Z")
Who cares if Putin was there, that’s just part of the formalities, nobody other than the hateful Americans and some of their allies care. These creatures tried to sabotage one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and it’s been such a great World Cup, devoid of politics and major incidents, where everybody got together and enjoyed the sport of football, the sport of the people. If these were just random people trying to get their five minutes of fame I’d rate them as hooligans, but since they did it for politics, I hope they get prosecuted for terrorism and thrown in solitary confinement for life, never to be heard of again. Keep the ugly politics out of sports, let us just enjoy the positive event. (Yes I know, it would be even better if no politicians attended the match to begin with, one step at a time.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pussy-riot-will-topple-putin-mark-my-words/630826.md?page=7)