Politics

Pussy Riot: They can beat us, imprison us, but we are still fighting

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, Jun 17 (EFE).- Olga Borisova, a member of the Russian feminist punk-rock group Pussy Riot, believes fear is no obstacle to activism.

Borisova, who was on the Spanish island of Tenerife to receive the Alan Turing Award for her efforts fighting for LGBT rights in Russia, sat down with Efe to talk activism, emotional burnout and the need to stay true to yourself when fighting for something you believe in.

She said Russia’s president Vladimir Putin has been striving to gag the band for the last decade.

“Putin’s regime is designed in a way to persecute anyone who is against the main line of (thought) of Putin and his government,” Borisova said. “Of course they can beat us, imprison us, this is basically what they have been doing for the last 10 years, but as you see we are still fighting.”

The activist and musician says Russia’s main problem is indifference.

“Indifference is the best type of fuel for any type of dictatorship,” she mused.

Although her partner Maria Alyokhina, better known as Masha, has openly proclaimed that the Pussy Riot is no longer afraid, Borisova thinks fear is no obstacle to activism.

“We are all human beings and we are not superheroes, we are just people that believe in something and fight for it.”

The group first gained notoriety in 2012 when they stormed the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow to publicly denounce the institution’s ties to Putin.

The balaclava-clad fivesome performed their ‘Punk Prayer: Mother of God Drive Putin Away’ track but the intervention landed three of them in a prison in Siberia.

“If you have the urge to protest or to do something and you will not do that because fear paralyzed you, you will lose yourself and this feeling is scarier than the possible consequences of the protest,” Borisova said.

FIGHTING FOR LGBT RIGHTS

Putin’s regime has come under fire over its persecution of members of the LGBT community. A controversial gay propaganda law ensures many are imprisoned.

“The new law that forbids gay propaganda in general, not only among under 18 year olds but in general,” the musician added. “And nobody defined what LGBT propaganda is. How can you propagand a sexual orientation that you were actually born with?”

In Chechnya, the situation is even worse, according to Borisova there are “gay prisons and people disappearing and being killed just for being gay.”

Looking back on her incredible journey of over 10 years of political activism, she said the best thing has been being part of Pussy Riot.

“The worst thing in activism, in general, is to feel that you didn’t do enough. Activism has this side of emotional burnout when you feel that you can’t save everyone, and, in the end, you do what you can.” EFE

nda/ch/jt

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