It's unlikely that Indiana's beloved human mannequin, Mike Pence, and "Mother" attended Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova's protest art action at the Indiana Supreme Court today. This event, dubbed "God Save Abortion," marked the launch of a larger campaign advocating for reproductive rights. In collaboration with Indiana University students, the action drew on Pussy Riot's history of provocative art, mirroring their 2012 "Punk Prayer," which they performed for 40 seconds in Russia's main cathedral, leading to the band members' arrest and imprisonment.
Tolokonnikova highlighted the plight of vulnerable individuals in states like Indiana, where restrictive abortion laws affect even the most tragic cases. Tolokonnikova's choice of Indiana for this protest was in response to the state's swift action in outlawing most abortions after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
"Even 10-year-old rape victims, and those that support them, like doctor Caitlin Bernard, are subject to harassment and intimidation here in Indiana," Tolokonnikova said in a statement. "I never read the version of the Bible where Jesus mocks and humiliates people who are hurt.
From the release:
This anti-abortion trend has reached Russia as well. The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, wrote a letter to the State Duma with a request to legally ban abortions in private clinics. According to journalists, the letter was received by the State Duma on November 8, and the next day Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin instructed the Health Protection Committee to consider this proposal.
On November 12, Kirill also publicly supported the initiative of the regions that would introduce a ban on "inducing" women to have abortions. The Patriarch called for this initiative to be extended to the federal level. According to him, this measure can increase the country's population "as if by moving a magic wand."
