Soccer Football - World Cup - Final - France v Croatia - Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia - July 15, 2018 Stewards chase pitch invaders REUTERS/Carl Recine Moscow: Russian punk protest organisation and band Pussy Riot has claimed responsibility for four people running onto the field at the Luzhniki Stadium here during the final match of the FIFA World Cup 2018 between France and Croatia. In a statement posted on its Twitter account, Pussy Riot wrote that the disruption was meant to protest political prisoners, illegal arrests during protests, and more. The performance was referred to as “policeman enters the game”, reports variety.com.
In the 52nd minute, four people simultaneously charged onto the field in old-fashioned police uniforms. Stewards quickly tackled them to the ground, but one of the protesters still managed to snag a double high-five from French player Kylian Mbappe. “Today is 11 years since the death of the great Russian poet, Dmitriy Prigov,” the statement began.
“Prigov created an image of a policeman, a carrier of the heavenly nationhood, in the Russian culture.” The statement goes on to distinguish between the “heavenly” policeman and “earthly” policeman, emphasising how the earthly policeman takes actions that “break our world apart”.
Pussy Riot has been active since 2011, and has been particularly vocal against the administration of President Vladimir Putin, who they consider a dictator. The group staged a performance in 2012 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior that gained them international notoriety. The collective can be frequently seen wearing bright colors, and the themes of their protests include LGBT rights and feminism.
“Pussy Riot, a protest punk rock band, have claimed responsibility for the four people running onto the field during the #WorldCupFinal2018. #FRACRO” The members of the band reportedly invaded the pitch as a mark of protest. France were 2-1 when the invasion took place. The game resumed shortly, and France took a 3-1 lead thanks to Paul Pogba’s stroke.