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Loading...Topless Activist Bares All to Russian Patriarch Kirill (Video)
A topless feminist activist from the Kiev-based activist group FEMEN confronted Patriarch Kirill as he stepped off a plane to visit Ukraine on Thursday. The woman ran up to the bearded Russian Orthodox official without a top on and the words “Kill Kirill” painted on her back. She ran up to him screaming “Get out” before guards quickly peeled her away from the conservative masthead.
The Moscow Times reports that she has been sentenced to 15 days behind bars for her protest. The woman behind the stunt, Yana Zhdanova, was the woman chosen by the women’s rights group FEMEN to run up to the Russian Orthodox Church’s leader. The Patriarch has been known to take extremely conservative stances on a number of pertinent issues in Russia and Ukraine in recent months, which FEMEN does not support.
He supported the stringent anti-LGBT propaganda law passed earlier this year in Russia which bars activists from displaying banners or information regarding LGBT identity or rights. He also supported the continued jailing and prosecution of feminist activist punk band Pussy Riot, who are facing charges of hooliganism after staging a performance in a Moscow cathedral.
The Orthodox Church has remained critical of FEMEN’s newest protest, stating to the Moscow Times:
It is disgraceful that people are trying to cast a cloud over Patriarch Kirill’s visit to Ukraine with pranks like this.
FEMEN is known for their flamboyant topless protests, many of which have been staged in Kiev. In May, another topless FEMEN activist stole the Euro Cup trophy in order to take a stand against sex trafficking in Ukraine. RT News reports that FEMEN also recently staged a topless protest in the Vatican’s St. Peters Square.
Patriarch Kirill and Russian President Vladimir Putin have had close ties during Putin’s entire tenure in political office. Many of the policies touted by the president’s United Russia party have been supported by the Orthodox Church, angering protesters in both Ukraine and Russia.
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Read more: orthodox church, protest, russia, topless, Ukraine, Women's rights
Photo Credit: FEMEN Women's Movement
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Recent Comments from Causes
Hi Sara :) are you referring to the very first jobs of their career-paths, or the jobs they hold as…
disgusting, and no one is being put in jail for this
That's a kinda scary list, but good to have for reference.
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110 comments
+ add your ownAMEN AMEN Great action to challenge the men's rule law.
'Bout time the church was challenged by women.
You go girl.
Good Luck ladies, I just hope it turns out good
Well said, Virginia and Linda!
Aaron B., go to Afghanistan! You'll find like-minded Talibans there!
Nice one ladies!
Hell yeah!
This is several days late, but I'd still like to suggest to Aaron that he check on the list of employees of the world's most powerful banks. If he has any claim to honesty, he'll note the overwhelmining majority of them are male! So my question is: why would male-dominated organizations like the world's largest banks be promoting feminism?? Du-u-uh!
cont....Rock and stay there. Of course, even there I'm sure you can find a conspiracy where women will grow scrotums and refuse to reproduce at the whim of men (a good thing with the current global overpopulation) thus allowing a group of cyclops to run rampant over all of us and....dare I say it.... RULE THE WORLD!!!!
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