Pussy Riot claim responsibility for World Cup final pitch invasion
Pussy Riot have claimed responsibility for four people running on to the field during the World Cup final.
Just after Croatia goalkeeper saved Kylian Mbappe in the 51st minute, four people emerged from the other end of the field.
One made it to the centre circle.
The four people who charged on to the field in the 52nd minute simultaneously in what appeared to be old-fashioned police uniforms were tackled to the ground by stewards.
Croatia defender Dejan Lovren pushed a male protester, helping a steward to detain him.
Before being hauled away, one woman managed to reach the centre of the field and share a double high-five with France forward Kylian Mbappe, who had a shot saved a minute earlier.
“Hello everyone from the Luzhniki field, it’s great here,” the group said on Twitter, and released a statement calling for the freeing of political prisoners, an end to “illegal arrests” of protesters and to “allow political competition” in Russia.
Their statement also referenced the case of Oleg Sentsov, a vocal opponent of Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, who was sentenced in 2015 to 20 years for conspiracy to commit terror acts.
He denies the charges and has been on a hunger strike since mid-May.
The protest was briefly shown on international TV broadcasts, even though Fifa policy is usually to cut away from field invasions.
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
— 𝖕𝖚𝖘𝖘𝖞 𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖙💦 (@pussyrrriot) July 15, 2018
The women of Pussy Riot, a Russian punk rock group, rose to global prominence with their daring outdoor performances critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2012 that sent two members to prison for nearly two years.
