@Arwen - A couple days back you had asked about Pussy Riot, the Russian band in prison. I looked them up again. The band had seven members. They were all anonymous as they performed in balaclavas without revealing their identity. Three were identified and charged after the Orthodox church protest. Two were convicted and imprisoned. They were let go after two years recently and they will be performing tonight in Brooklyn, NY for an Amnesty international human rights benefit concert.
Although, I support the band's right to free speech, I can see how doing so at an Orthodox church could be offensive. Any community would be gravely offended if someone used their religious property for a protest that the religion doesn't necessarily align with. At the same time, freedom of speech is abysmal in Russia. They didn't desecrate or destroy any property. It should have been a misdemeanor, not a serious crime. Moreover, there is absolutely no channel for free speech in Russia today.
In a way India is much better than many nations. Protests, dharnas and bandhs are mainstays in Indian society. People protest easily when they disagree with government. If India was like Putin's Russia. Sonia Gandhi would have Kejriwal rotting in prison for sedition and organize assassination attempts on Modi.
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