Rookie

Mariela, La Plata, Argentina

Riot Grrrl music and conscious hip-hop by artists like Queen Latifah were my gateway drugs into feminism. These women made bold protest songs that spoke truth to power.

Narita, Netherlands

Beatriz, São Paulo, Brazil

Riot Grrrl’s powerful roar ignited a fire within me and my friends, inspiring us to celebrate our creativity and own our righteous anger, and to amplify our voices against sexism, sexual violence, and racism.

Haley Anne, Exeter, Rhode Island

Bella, Richmond, Virginia

Christian, Texas

Anna, Brazil

When three young members of the Russian feminist collective Pussy Riot were arrested for performing their “punk prayer” protesting Russian president Vladimir Putin’s repressive regime at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, their intrepid Riot Grrrl spirit inspired me and thousands of others to support their fight for freedom.

Astrorice, Vancouver, British Columbia

Tavi, Oak Park, Illinois

Marian, Forest Hills, New York

Adela and Kathryn, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Mateo, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Molly, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Sarah

Those three women—Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, and Yekaterina Samutsevich—have been sentenced to three years in prison, just for speaking up for their rights. This is outrageous! But it is exciting that their courage is galvanizing a new generation of activists and mobilizing artists to speak out on their behalf.

Alis, Chesire, UK

Hannah, Ridgefield, Connecticut

Morgan, Savannah, Georgia

Amanda, Brazil

Emalie, Seattle

Dani

Alex, Loveland, Colorado

Britney, Brooklyn

Camille, Lizzy, and Izzi, Portland, Oregon

Here’s a quick timeline of how these young women recently rocked the Kremlin and became heard around the world:

Victoria, Mexico

February 2012: Wearing bright balaclavas, Pussy Riot perform their song “Virgin Mary, Chase Putin Away,” critiquing the intimate ties between the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox Church, before being kicked out by security.

Ruby, Providence, Rhode Island

March: Before the presidential election, Russian law enforcement arrest students Maria (24), Nadezhda (22), and Yekaterina (30) and charge them with “public hooliganism.” Their “riot for rights” begins to spread beyond Russian borders as outraged supporters participate in solidarity demonstrations.

Tess, Provo, Utah

April to May: Amnesty International launches a global campaign demanding Pussy Riot’s freedom. A judge denies their appeals for bail and release, and Pussy Riot remains in confinement.

Anaheed, New York City

June: Calls for Pussy Riot’s release continue to be rejected. Permanent Wave organizes a benefit concert for Pussy Riot’s legal defense fund.

Hannah, Woodside, California

July: Pussy Riot goes on a hunger strike as they await trial. Their lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, insists that “there is nothing in Russian law that could qualify [Pussy Riot’s] actions as criminal.”

Georgia, Kent, UK

Early August: Riot Grrrl icon Kathleen Hanna publically condemns Pussy Riot’s imprisonment and Russia’s oppressive regime in her blog post “SERIOUSLY THEY ARE IN A FUCKING CAGE,” calling their trial “a farce” and advocating for a global and intergenerational “We Are All Pussy Riot” art and activist movement.

Brian, France

August 17: While condemning Pussy Riot’s “blasphemous” performance, the Russian Orthodox Church calls for the Russian state to demonstrate “mercy” toward Pussy Riot.

Naomi, Birmingham, UK

After a trial the media has called an “absurd and outrageous” witch-hunt, the court sentences the trio to two years in a prison camp for “crudely undermining the social order.”

Charlotte, Monmouthshire, Wales

Zoe, La Jolla, California

Isabella, Ohio

Terry, Ohio

Bobcat, California

Stephanie, Chicago

Huaising, New York City

C.V.M, Germany

Zoë, Oberlin, Ohio

Caitlin, UK

Leo Tolstoy, courtesy of Marly and Suze, the Netherlands

Esme, Suffolk, England

Here’s why we stand with Pussy Riot. They are in jail for nonviolently speaking out against an oppressive regime. They are being persecuted for being feminists. And they are rallying a new generation of activists who are concerned about government attacks on free expression, gender equality, economic inequality, and election corruption around the world.

M.

Hazel, New York City

Lori, Romania

Their brave and unapologetic defiance (read their inspiring closing statements here) has spurred protests around the world, signaling a new movement of rebellion in Moscow, New York, Germany, Iran, and beyond.

Chio, Plainfield, Illinois

Fran, Calgary, Alberta

Becky, UK

Bel, Oxford, England

It’s a shame that lots of the reporting about Pussy Riot’s groundbreaking case has focused more on their “photogenic” looks rather than their badass political messages and courage.

Gabby, New York City

Leora, San Diego

Antigoni, Cyprus

Pussy Riot needs our support. These women need justice. But, also, their case also serves to bring up a lot of other cases, of political prisoners who might not fit a privileged, white ideal.

Rachael, Washington, DC

Tess, Portsmouth, UK

Marissa, Whittier, California

We must also remember to support political prisoners whose stories may be disregarded by mainstream media. These include, currently, the plights of CeCe McDonald and Bei Bei Shuai.

Kate, Northern Ireland

Rowanne, Virginia

Samuel, Seattle

Collin and Alexia, Louisville, Kentucky

CeCe, a 23-year-old transwoman of color, was sentenced to over 40 months in a men’s prison after she used force to defend herself and her friends against a group of men who targeted them with racist and transphobic attacks.

Emma, Brooklyn

Krissy, Reno, Nevada

After spending over a year in an Indiana jail, Bei Bei Shuai was imprisoned for attempted suicide during her pregnancy. While Shuai was released on bail in May, she is still being forced to wear a GPS tracking device while she awaits her trial for “attempted feticide and murder of a viable fetus.” Like CeCe’s predicament, Bei Bei’s story remains on the margins as coverage of Pussy Riot is prioritized in the public conversation.

Nina, Tarzana, California

Sammy, Chicago

Amy Rose, Brooklyn

Maria

Jamia, New York City

But: if there’s any silver lining to what’s happening to the women in Pussy Riot, it’s this: we’re all not only talking about Maria, Nadezhda, and Yekaterina now—we’re also talking about CeCe; we’re talking about Bei Bei.

Juliette, Australia

Jenny, Brooklyn

Neyat, Hawthorne, California

Courage is contagious. Thanks to the groundswell of support for Pussy Riot, now is the perfect time for us to learn from their bravery and endurance to kindle our own revolutions.