Pussy Riot protest at Indiana State Capitol with a giant vulva
The protest art collective Pussy Riot have been spotted brandishing a giant inflatable vulva outside the Indiana State Capitol earlier this week. The group continue in their fight against the state’s Supreme Court and its anti-abortion policies.
After the US Supreme Court’s controversial reversal of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Indiana has implemented a comprehensive prohibition on abortions.
In a new statement, Nadya Tolokonnikova, leader of Pussy Riot, recounted a distressing incident wherein a doctor in the state faced the imminent suspension of her license for granting a 10-year-old rape survivor an abortion.
“Pussy Riot has always meant to bring hope to hopeless situations — whenever I fail to see any hope, I turn to art,” Tolokonnikova stated. “It helps me to make my message more loud and clear.
“Art is like a magic wand; it’s a very special instrument. Resist, organise, find like-minded people. And, most importantly, vote. I know you hate the system that failed you, but it’s in your power to change it, even if it seems otherwise.”
Earlier this year, Pussy Riot were awarded the 2023 Woody Guthrie Prize. The annual honour recognises artists who embody the late folk songwriter’s “spirit and work by speaking for the less fortunate” and “serving as a positive force for social change.”
“It feels fitting to be awarded in the spirit of Woody, I think he would love Pussy Riot’s anti-fascist message,” Tolokonnikova said in a statement at the time. “We don’t really do folk, but we don’t really do punk either, we simply scream and protest as loud as we can, and hope we can show others they can do the same.”
Pussy Riot have also shared a short video to accompany their latest action in Indiana, watch it below.
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