Um, no. Pussy Riot has a legitimate complaint in the what happened to them. These are simply folks interrupting and creating a scene in a private business place
(Index On Censorship) On a Saturday afternoon in June, a group of activists walked into a bank in Manhattan, New York, and staged a peaceful protest performance. The Church of Stop Shopping, led by Reverend Billy, were protesting at JP Chase Morgan and other banks’ investment in fossil fuel projects, which they say is unethical in the face of climate change.
Bill Talen, 63, the man behind Reverend Bill and the Church of Stop Shopping, has been staging this kind of action for a while. I interviewed him for New Humanist magazine in 2004, after a protest at a Starbuck’s in Camden, North London.
But now Bill and his colleague Nehemiah Luckett are facing charges of riot in the second degree and menacing in the third degree, for their JP Chase Morgan protest. The pair could end with one year in jail. For a peaceful protest. They are due to appear in court on 9 December.
A “peaceful protest”, huh?
Index on Censorship: Can you tell us what happened at JP Morgan Chase?
Reverend Billy: We interrupted the very wealthy of upper Manhattan in their “wealth management†sessions.  The sea of white people at walnut desks looked up to confront large flaming frogs leaping on their desks, handing out information about the impact of their fossil fuel investments.  An Elvis impersonator narrated the event while the “Golden Toads†– an animal forced into extinction 30 years ago by climate change – harmonised and hopped.  Under the toad costumes was the singing group called “The Stop Shopping Choirâ€.
In other words, they were harassing customers on private property, interrupting legitimate business.
Looks rather disruptive. On private property.
IoC: How do you intend to fight the charge?
RB: The “Necessity Defense†– which means that if someone is drawing a gun on us to kill us, we have the right to grab them and disarms them. I have the right to commit a minor crime to prevent a great crime that no other presiding authority can prevent.  No presiding authority is dealing with climate change.  Governments in the West and China – are committed to their deadly gradualism, controlled by fossil cartels.
I wonder how Rev. Bill and his “church” get around to all these protests. Fossil fuels, perhaps?
IoC: How do you think this charge squares with your first amendment rights?
RB: The First Amendment has been under systematic attack in New York City for 20 years, under the leadership of Rudolf Giuliani and Mike Bloomberg, their police and courts. The right to express in public space is besieged by permits and police, and overwhelmed by corporate expression -Â advertising in myriad forms, from the glowing gadget in the hand to the 80 foot tall Kate Moss looking at me like we just made love. Â We must reclaim freedom of expression, and we believe that this resurrection of extinct Golden Toads is the right drama. Â Earthalujah!
Yet, it wasn’t a public place, it was a privately owned business, and you have no right to protest in this manner on their property.
