Pussy Riot claims responsibility after fans invade pitch during World Cup final

The World Cup final between France and Croatia was briefly halted in the second half after four fans ran onto the pitch during play.

Watch.

According to a report from Associated Press, the Russian feminist protest punk group Pussy Riot claimed responsibility for the pitch invasion.

The outspoken anti-Putin group, which was formed in 2011, previously gained notoriety for staging a performance inside Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior in 2012.

In a statement on its Twitter feed, the group tied the action to the anniversary of the death of Russian poet Dmitriy Prigov and made a list of demands that included the release of political prisoners, stopping illegal arrests at rallies, and to “allow political competition in the country.”

The pitch invaders were dressed as policemen, which the band’s statement also makes reference to.

Here is the statement in full.

The pitch invaders were quickly tackled and hauled off by stewards. But not before one of them had this “high-five” moment with French star Kylian Mbappe.

France went on to win the match 4-2 to secure its second World Cup title.

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