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Huge Amnesty International Concert Bringing Pussy Riot To Brooklyn
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 21, 2014
Modified Jan 21, 2014
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 21, 2014
Modified Jan 21, 2014
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Since the late 1980s, and through 1998, Amnesty International paired up with big names like Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, U2, Peter Gabriel, and Sting for a series of concerts aimed at bringing awareness to human rights. On February 5th the organization will bring back the big show; this time around it's being held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Tim Hayes from CBGB worked with Amnesty to make this happen, and together they will produce the concert—so far they have announced the Flaming Lips, Imagine Dragons, Lauryn Hill, Tegan and Sara, the Fray, Cold War Kids, Colbie Caillat, and Cake as being part of the lineup, and today they just announced that Pussy Riot will be making an appearance following their release from prison last month under an amnesty by President Vladimir Putin. At least, two the of three members—Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova—will appear. They released a statement with the announcement, saying:
"We are happy to support Amnesty International’s work on behalf of human rights and political prisoners. We, more than anyone, understand how important Amnesty’s work is in connecting activists to prisoners. A month ago we were freed from Russian prison camps. We will never forget what it’s like to be in prison after a political conviction. We have vowed to continue helping those who remain behind bars."
More announcements are expected to be made over the next two weeks, including a couple of Big Deal Performers. You can buy tickets here—the four hour concert event aims to draw attention to the need to protect human rights around the world, and "prisoners of conscience, people who have chosen a non-violent path yet are jailed for their beliefs, color of skin, gender, or sexual orientation, and whose rights Amnesty has championed throughout its 50-year history." Here's a look back at some of the 1980s concerts:
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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