Pussy Riot assault shows Russia unfit for Olympics

Watching TV last week, I saw the Russian punk-rock band, Pussy Riot, being pepper-sprayed and horsewhipped by the Cossack militia, a law-enforcing arm of the state.

It was disconcerting to watch the viciousness of the attack, as the band attempted to perform on a Sochi stage. With cameras all around, the Cossacks must have been aware, even before they mounted the stage, that their actions would be recorded. This didn’t prevent their whips from flaying across the bodies of the band members. The negative impression that their deeds convey to the outside world didn’t temper their enthusiasm.

A couple of years back, I was opposed to this band’s sacrilegious performance in Moscow’s main cathedral. It was something I found (and I still do) deeply offensive. However, I believe in a person’s right to peaceful protest, and this was peaceful. This begs the question as to whether a country that shows such disregard for freedom of speech, and of expression, should have been granted the privilege of holding the Winter Olympics.