I’m angry (speech at #ImWithTheBanned )
I’m not beautiful.
I’m not ugly.
I’m angry.
I’m really angry due to the fact that the main political institutions of my country, Russia, are the law enforcement, the army, police, intelligence agencies, and prisons. But the main political institution of my country is composed of just one man – Putin.
By working together, we can build better institutions.
I’m angry, because I do not want to live in a world where you can get sent to prison for speaking a word.
Only in prison I did finally understand how valuable words can be. If you’ve been through prison you say a word and think not only about it’s meaning and value, but about the big consequences that your words can have.
I’m angry because I know too many people that went to jail for saying words or reading a speech.
I’m angry because our governments – and not just in Russia, but in Europe as well, especially in the last weeks – still believe in the power of razor wires, fences and jails.
You are in London – you might feel that razor wires, watch towers and camp-like prisons are a universe apart from you, somewhere in Belarus, Russia or Syria. But right here in the centre of London you have Julian Assange who is spending his fourth year locked up in the embassy of Ecuador for uncovering serious war crimes to the world.
You are in London. You might think that authoritarian and conservative pigs are further away from you then you think. But they are very close – and we have to resist them with our warmth and solidarity.
You have thousands of people prepared to die daily under the wheels of trucks to cross the Eurotunnel from Calais, just because the British goverment is not creating a way to process asylum applications so that people don’t die.
Every gesture you make is meaningful, even if you are clueless about it. Every gesture you make sets rules. There is no decision you make yourself alone.
I have some great advice for politicians in authoritarian countries – what it the best way to get rid of a political enemy?
Jailing your enemy is a bad idea. He will only grow stronger and his voice will become louder. I used to never be able to do push-ups like a man. But after Putin sent me to prison I learned how to do push-ups in prison and now I can do them.
So if you are Putin and want to get rid of Pussy Riot the worst idea is to put them to prison and give them a voice. You will only make Pussy Riot stronger. If you’re the Chinese government – jailing and prosecuting Ai Weiwei means that we’ll probably be making him the best known Chinese artist alive.
I’m not beautiful.
I’m not ugly.
I’m angry.
The first person who empowered the word “Revolution” was Nicolai Copernicus.
He figured out that the earth revolves around the sun and wrote a book titled On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres, which provoked shock, outbursts, and hysteria.
Burning me does not refute me, repeated Giordano Bruno as he made his way to the fire.
It is only revolutions that make the heavenly spheres move. People who ask themselves and others tough questions are responsible for progress. If there is no one asking questions, the future will be a paradise for conservatives and hell for everyone else.
I’m not beautiful.
I’m not ugly.
I’m angry