Pussy Riot shuts down Trump Tower in New York to protest incarceration of political prisoners

'We believe that political prisoners and their protection are more important than the sexist bullshit that people have been focused on,' says Pussy Riot

The group unfurled a banner calling for Oleg Sentsov, a Ukranian film director imprisoned in Russia, to be released (AFP/Getty)

Pussy Riot stormed Trump Tower in New York to voice their opposition to the actions of US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladamir Putin.

The Russian feminist punk rock group staged the protest in the 58-storey skyscraper, which is the headquarter of The Trump Organisation, to draw attention to the incarceration of political prisoners.

Wearing their trademark makeshift balaclavas made out of woollen hats, the group unfurled a banner calling for a Ukranian film director imprisoned in Russia to be released. The protest reportedly saw the lavish tower shut down for half an hour.

"The police closed the tower for half an hour after our action,” Pussy Riot's Maria Alekhina, who was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in 2012 for being convicted of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” for a performance in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, said on Facebook.

The group, who are based in Moscow, argued the plight of political prisoners was more important than the “sexist bulls***” that Westerners have centred their energies on.

“We came to occupy Trump Tower to call attention to political prisoners. We believe that political prisoners and their protection are more important than the sexist bullshit that people have been focused on,” Pussy Riot said in a Facebook post.

“Defending political prisoners is an issue that transcends borders. We are acting in solidarity against leaders like Putin, who has exercised authoritarian force and Trump, who is displaying authoritarian tendencies - because we all need to be fighting together on behalf of dissidents everywhere.”

“We, Pussy Riot, invite you to join our fabulous and bold path: ask questions of your politicians who shake hands with Putin in international forums, support advocacy, go out into the streets. And put on your own political, public actions too,” they continued.

The group said they wanted the world to take notice of Ukranian film director Oleg Sentsov and anarchist Olexandr Kolchenko - both of whom are currently in Russian prison.

“While Sentsov got 20 years in prison, Kolchenko got ten years. Because they, like you, did not sit by - they were fighting for their freedom in Crimea, which was annexed by Putin,” they said.

Mr Senstov was sentenced to two decades in prison over terrorism charges but his lawyers and supporters claimed the charges were inflated to suppress him for being openly critical of Russia’s military actions in Crimea.

“We decided to do an action right now, while we are in New York, with activists here because we believe there are no borders to our solidarity,” they said.

This is by no means the first time Pussy Riot have voiced their opposition to President Trump. Last Autumn they released a single called “Straight Outta Vagina” which took aim at the US president.

“And the owner of vaginas is not some narcissistic stupid orange ape who’d claim that he could easily grab women by their pussies. The owner of vagina is a woman. Who wears her vag as a badge of honour. Pussy is the new dick, ladies,” they said.

This is a reference to the now infamous Access Hollywood 2005 tape which was leaked last year. In the tape, President Trump could be heard bragging about groping and making unwanted advances on women and saying he was such a “star” that he could grab women “by the pussy”.