Pussy Riot Protest Tech Giant Over Alleged Russian Military Support

Russian protest art collective Pussy Riot have occupied the Manhattan offices of tech company Ubiquiti, protesting the company’s alleged role in Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

According to Rolling Stone, the collective congregated at the company’s corporate office on Friday to call out the use of Ubiquiti’s communication hardware by the Russian army on the frontlines.

In a video statement, Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova claimed that since the disabling of Starlink for Russian troops, Ubiquiti’s hardware has become the preferred replacement. The technology, including long-range bridges that can beam communication up to 15km, is allegedly assisting in what the group describes as “thousands of documented cases of war crimes.”

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The masked activists delivered three clear demands to the company: “Obey US sanctions, acknowledge use by Russian Army, and work with Ukraine to stop this use.”

Shortly after the protest, Pussy Riot claimed that Ubiquiti had retaliated. In a follow-up post on X , the group stated that Ubiquiti had their partner company, Square, deactivate the account Pussy Riot uses to sell merchandise at their shows.

This protest is just the latest chapter in a long and defiant history for Pussy Riot. The collective has consistently stood against the Russian government and its actions for over a decade. Their most infamous protest came in 2012 when members performed in a Moscow cathedral to protest the Orthodox Church’s support for President Vladimir Putin. That act of defiance led to members being sentenced to two years in jail, a ruling that sparked global outrage and was widely condemned as a blatant act of censorship.

In another high-profile demonstration, members of the group stormed the field during the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, again resulting in jail time. These actions cement their reputation as one of the most vocal and fearless opposition groups to Putin’s regime, using art and direct action to draw global attention to their cause.