Jun 6, 2019 - World

Pussy Riot to play Planned Parenthood benefit in Alabama

Ursula Perano

Pussy Riot performing. — Member of Pussy Riot. Photo: Medios y Media/Getty Images

Russian protest band Pussy Riot will be playing a concert in Alabama to benefit Planned Parenthood and the Yellowhammer Fund, which works to secure funding for women seeking an abortion throughout the state, the AP reports.

Why it matters: The most restrictive abortion laws in generations are currently spreading across America's red states, setting up what could be a precedent-smashing Supreme Court challenge to Roe v. Wade. Alabama specifically has banned abortions at any stage of pregnancy, barring serious risk to the mother, and with no exceptions for rape or incest. Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union have filed a lawsuit challenging the ban.

Context: Pussy Riot was founded in 2011 in Moscow, Russia, and is known to stage protests focusing on civil liberties and gender issues. The group is vocally opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they consider a dictator, and members have been arrested and tried at various points for their protests. Members of the band have also pushed back against restrictions on abortion in their own country.

Go deeper: Where abortion restrictions stand: The states that have passed laws

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Pussy Riot to play Planned Parenthood benefit in Alabama

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