Members of the scandalous Pussy Riot band have been attacked by people in Cossacks uniforms, with batons, pepper spray and whips, as the young women attempted to perform a song near the seaport in the Olympic host city, Sochi.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina said on twitter that the “attack” occurred as they, along with several other band members, were singing their song in front of a banner advertising the 2014 Winter Olympics.
“Near the Sochi 2014 banner singing ‘Putin will teach you to love fatherland’ Pussy Riot were attacked by Cossacks, whipped and thoroughly sprayed by pepper gas,” wrote Tolokonnikova, who was recently released from jail.
On Wednesday, the group had gathered in a downtown Sochi restaurant, about 30km from where the Winter Olympics are being held, according to Associated Press. The activists ran out wearing their trademark ‘uniform’ – brightly colored dresses, tights and balaklavas – and were approached by about a dozen Cossacks.
Pussy Riot whipped by Cossacks in Sochi performance fail
