Here’s the Video for Pussy Riot’s New Single ‘Police State,’ Starring Chloë Sevigny

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Pussy Riot has released a new song and video, unsubtly (but not inaccurately!) titled “Police State,” to mark both the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump’s election and the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the Russian Revolution – events they see as, well, not unrelated. In an accompanying statement, Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova explains, “When Trump won the presidential election one year ago, people were deeply shocked. What was in fact blown up on 8th of November 2016 was the social contract, the paradigm that says that you can live comfortably without getting your hands dirty with politics.”

However, the statement continues, “If we find a way how to act together, be articulate, focused and persuasive, we can shift mountains. Look back: people did it before. Soviet dissidents were fighting against one of the most oppressive governments on the planet and shared their own DIY magazines (samizdat) via secret networks. Labor union leaders and civil rights activists were dying for their beliefs in the US. And it actually did make our world a better place.”

The “Police State” clip, directed by Matt Creed, features indie fave Chloë Sevigny as a baton-slinging cop terrorizing the Russian art collective/punk group, intercut with images of young girls strapped into chairs, Clockwork Orange-style, to watch clips of President Trump (including, significantly, Trump shaking hands with Vladamir Putin). Check it out:

“Police State” is the first single off Pussy Riot’s upcoming album Nice Life. The group – which, never forget, TRIED TO WARN US – makes its U.S. stage debut on December 13 in Los Angeles.