Three women and one man ran onto the field during the 52nd minute of the World’s Cup final on Sunday, and Pussy Riot — a feminist protest group and band from Russia — is claiming responsibility.
“Hello everyone from the Luzhniki pitch, it’s cool here!” the group posted on Twitter and Facebook right after the stunt, according to the Associated Press. Pussy Riot also released a statement that explained the protest and called for the freeing of political prisoners, the allowance of political competition in Russia, and an end to illegal arrests on rallies, imprisoning for “likes,” fabricating criminal accusations, and keeping people in jail for “no reason.”
NEWS FLASH! Just a few minutes ago four Pussy Riot members performed in the FIFA World Cup final match — ”Policeman enters the Game”https://t.co/3jUi5rC8hh pic.twitter.com/W8Up9TTKMA
— ????? ???? (@pussyrrriot) July 15, 2018
Once the four were on the field, the male protester was pushed by Croatia defender Dejan Lovren in an effort for him to be detained. France forward Kylian Mbappe had a different approach: he high-fived one of the women protesters.
Mbappé high-fives Pussy Riot. World Cup highlight. pic.twitter.com/CKnsRngZXg
— Adelle Stripe (@adellestripe) July 15, 2018
All of the protesters were eventually detained, and according to the Moscow branch of the Russian Interior Ministry, they were taken to the local police station.
In Pussy Riot’s statement, the group also specifically mentioned the case of Oleg Sentsov. The Ukranian filmmaker was an outspoken critic of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit terror acts. However, he denies the charges and even began a hunger strike in May.
Dmitri Prigov was another name mentioned. He was a Russian writer, artist and a dissident in the Soviet Union era who died 11 years ago. Pussy Riot drew inspiration from his poetry for Sunday’s protest. “The heavenly policeman, according to Prigov, talks on the two-way with the God Himself. The earthly policeman gets ready to disperse rallies,” the group wrote. “The heavenly policeman gently touches a flower in a field and enjoys Russian football team victories, while the earthly policeman feels indifferent to Oleg Sentsov’s hunger strike. The heavenly policeman rises as an example of the nationhood, the earthly policeman hurts everyone.”
Those who stormed the field were notably wearing police uniforms.
Pitch invaders…. pic.twitter.com/wHri3D5CLH
— Jacqui Oatley (@JacquiOatley) July 15, 2018
Pussy Riot also called the “heavenly policeman” the organizer of the World Cup. “The heavenly policeman carefully watches for obeying the game rules, the earthly policeman enters the game not caring about the rules,” the group wrote. “The FIFA World Cup has reminded us of the possibilities of the heavenly policeman in the Great Russia of the future, but the earthly policeman, entering the ruleless game breaks our world apart.”
FIFA has yet to comment on the field invasion.