Lawrence O’Donnell wonders if it’s possible that Edward Snowden can possibly still support Vladimir Putin after watching Russian forces beat, whip and punch Pussy Riot for singing a protest song? Let’s see what Edward Snowden had to say…Long before he’d even set foot in Russia.
“These nations, including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador have my gratitude and respect for being the first to stand against human rights violations carried out by the powerful rather than the powerless.” He continued, “By refusing to compromise their principles in the face of intimidation, they have earned the respect of the world.”
Wow…I guess Snowden’s definition of ‘human rights violations’ is different than that of someone who is being beaten and dragged off to jail – literally, for singing in protest.
Lawrence O’Donnell finds the treatment of Pussy Riot to be reprehensible. On the other hand, he feels sympathy of a sort for Edward Snowden…Who feels so strongly about human rights. Edward Snowden must have decided that our violations of privacy are far worse than being beaten in the street, then jailed.
Snowden will be just fine as Putin’s pet, just as long as he continues to speak out against the U.S. and Australia – and to praise Russia where armed Cossacks whip, beat and punch girls who sing…And those who dare to try to reveal how dangerous it is to even think about it!
The members of Russian punk group Pussy Riot have tried to keep a low profile since arriving in the Olympic city on Sunday, to film clips for a new protest song.
But when they were arrested on Tuesday, they live-tweeted their ordeal, leading to a media scrum outside the police station.
The arrest charges were based on claims that a woman’s handbag had been stolen from the hotel where the group was staying, and led to its members being bundled into a police van. The charges were dropped, and the women freed. It was unclear what purpose the arrest had served except to bring attention to the fact that Pussy Riot were in town.
Their lawyer, Alexander Popkov, sighed as he watched the scrum of journalists barrel down the hill in pursuit of his clients, with frustrated motorists beeping their horns as they tried to pass the crowd.
“Our authorities have this amazing ability to organize a scandal,” he said. “If they hadn’t arrested them, there would have been none of this crazy media attention.”
“At the moment this city is under occupation, under police control,” said Tolokonnikova, wearing a bright blue balaclava. She said she and other members of Pussy Riot had been constantly tailed since arriving in Sochi on Sunday. “We are always followed by a crowd of people – not journalists, but people who are following us and track our every move, and look for any excuse to detain us.”
he 24-year-old said she believed they were detained to prevent them from carrying out a political protest. Special laws have been introduced in Sochi during the Olympics that make a one-person picket, allowed under the Russian constitution, illegal without permission.
“We were simply walking around Sochi when they grabbed us,” said Tolokonnikova by phone from the police station during her detention. She later said she had been roughly treated while detained, including being dragged along the floor face down. At least they were treated better than poor Edward Snowden – I presume. <sarcasm intended>