police incident in Moscow

[Vlad n U 2]

Will our local anti-Russian poster Mob come back to say "I told you so"?

Well if he does he's gonna get a lot of shit thrown at him ... by me.

Russia has to deal with more terrorism then western countries so the beefed up security isn't out of the ordinary.

This is very true.

From U2 360 Setlists, Tour Dates, Reviews & Photos at U2tours.com

U2 plays its first concert in Russia. Fans enter to a stadium that's heavy on police and security. Before the show, U2 learns that police have shut down Greenpeace, ONE Campaign, and Amnesty International booths outside the stadium and detained several Amnesty volunteers on the grounds that they were picketing illegally. They're later released without charge. Inside, it rains heavily for the first half of the show, prompting Bono to sing about the rain several times. All of the new songs except 'Stingray' are dropped for this new audience. Yuri Shevchuk, singer of Russian band DDT, joins the band on stage for Knocking on Heaven's Door. Mikhail Gorbachev is in attendance.

Good band.

 

[last unicorn]

Bono must be pissed about police shutting down the ONE campaign stands

 

[coolian2]

i've never seen amnesty international people at u2 concerts with signs, usually just a t-shirt or a booth.

maybe they were looking for something like this?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

i've never seen amnesty international people at u2 concerts with signs, usually just a t-shirt or a booth.

maybe they were looking for something like this?

It's probably because Russia don't particularly have a good record when it comes to "human rights", and still remains an authoritarian nation.

 

[coolian2]

It's probably because Russia don't particularly have a good record when it comes to "human rights", and still remains an authoritarian nation.

well yeah. what i was saying was i wouldn't be surprised if the amnesty guys were trying to get into the headlines.

it doesn't seem to be how they normally act though, so i'm probably wrong.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Were there lots of Trabants in the parking lot during the show?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Were there lots of Trabants in the parking lot during the show?

Why would there be?

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

I'll try and do a wee review later. But, and I don't know if this relates directly to what happened with the volunteers, during a storming version of Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bono took the band's music right down low and started a quite extended singalong of Get Up Stand Up (For Your Rights), which the crowd really sang along to very loudly.

^THIS! Beyond awesome!

go Bono.. I know he wouldn't let that one slip by..

 

[mama cass]

i would imagine such high security could be due to terrorist threats perhaps, given Russia's history, and it being such a large gathering of people...

 

[Galeongirl]

i've never seen amnesty international people at u2 concerts with signs, usually just a t-shirt or a booth.

maybe they were looking for something like this?

Since this leg they went in the GA line to ask people to sign a statement, I think it was for people being forced to leave their houses without reason. Don't really remember as I was sleeping when they stopped by us at both German gigs.

Were there lots of Trabants in the parking lot during the show?

Ehh, what do Eastern German cars have to do with Russia?

 

[last unicorn]

I haven't been able to follow setlist details, but: Is it true that they displayed the declaration of human rights on the screen before Walk On?

 

[A stor]

I read that five were arrested and later released. I think it was for not having a permit or something like that. They were with the Russian Amensity International group.

 

[A stor]

Bono must be pissed about police shutting down the ONE campaign stands

Probably so. I could be wrong, but I think they were under the impression that it was okay to do this.

 

[BluRmGrl]

Cathal for keeping us updated!

Bono for 'Get Up, Stand Up'

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Ehh, what do Eastern German cars have to do with Russia?

Exactly. You won't find any Trabants in Russia, but a LOT of Lada's.

 

[mama cass]

Ladas! excellent! i remember those lol!! and Skodas too lol!

well, this event has finally made it into the UK press - jeesh they are so behind...

Kremlin arrest of activists strikes wrong chord at U2 gig in Moscow | World news | The Guardian

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Skodas are from the Czech Republic, actually.

 

[cathalmc]

I haven't been able to follow setlist details, but: Is it true that they displayed the declaration of human rights on the screen before Walk On?

Yeah, it was in Russian during MLK.

 

[last unicorn]

That's great!

 

[Galeongirl]

When listening to my Helsinki bootleg I wondered... did Bono do his same shout out during Walk On and MOS? Did the volunteers still walk out on the catwalk with the lights(or were there a few missing due to arrests)? During MOS he usually thanks the people in the red zones, then those who signed up to the one campaign and Amnesty. Since the boots were shut down that would make little sense, did he say anything about it at all?

 

[subnet]

did you hear the rumour about their Cuba gig?

 

[corianderstem]

No, where did you hear that?

 

[financeguy]

Russia is run by known money launderers, known mafioso, known crims.

The so-called prime minister of Russia is basically a front man for the capo di tuti capi of the Russian mafia, and Bono is going for lunch with this guy? Fuck's sakes.

U2 wouldn't be in debt, would they?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Bono went to lunch with Medvedev, not Putin. Or did I miss out on something?

 

[Popmartijn]

i've never seen amnesty international people at u2 concerts with signs, usually just a t-shirt or a booth.

maybe they were looking for something like this?

No, the Amnesty International people have always carried signs during the 360 Tour. Not big signs on a stick, but more something like a poster. They ask if you want to get your picture taken with them.

I wasn't there when they raided the booths, but I don't think they were staging an actual protest (as we Westerners define a protest). But AI being an unregistered NGO (apparently) in Russia, they were a likely target for the police.