Arrests of human rights activists marred the first concert of the Irish band U2 in Russia, the BBC reported.
Arrests of human rights activists marred the first concert of the Irish band U2 in Russia, the BBC reported. Before the start of the gig, police detained activists of the human rights organization “Amnesty International” on the grounds that they did not have permission to distribute leaflets in front of the stadium in Moscow. However, the head of the organization’s Moscow branch, Sergey Nikitin, said that U2’s managers had assured them that all the necessary permits were in place. The activists were later released.
AFP also reported that police forced volunteers from U2’s ONE Campaign against AIDS fund to leave Luzhniki Stadium.
Tents of “Greenpeace-Russia” were also removed, announced the director of the organization Ivan Blokov. “Our activities were coordinated with U2’s management, so we are very surprised,” he added.
Nikitin stated that “Amnesty” attended many of the group’s concerts on their European tour and he did not know if Bono was aware of what was happening with them. During the concert, the U2 frontman invited Russian rock star and Kremlin opponent Yuri Shevchuk to perform “Knockin on Heaven’s Door” together, calling his fellow Russian a “great man.”
Meanwhile, U2 were fined by the Spanish authorities for playing too loud at their concerts at Barcelona’s Nou Camp last year. For this, the group will have to pay a fine of £14,723.
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