Pussy Riot and Femen Stage Kremlin-Linked Protest at Venice Biennale

Pussy Riot and Femen stormed the Kremlin-linked Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale on May 6, with about 50 Pussy Riot members in pink ski masks performing the song “Disobey” and Femen activists firing blue and yellow smoke with Ukrainian flags. Police tackled several protestors as the two feminist groups publicly joined forces for the first time. The pavilion’s Kremlin funding and links to Russia’s military-industrial complex drew scrutiny, while Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova and Inna Shevchenko framed the action as a bold stand against Russia’s war, criticizing the use of culture for political ends and urging attention to political prisoners.