Amnesty activists arrested at U2 show in Moscow

Moscow police have confirmed that they arrested five Amnesty International activists ahead of U2’s historic first gig yesterday in Russia.
The group, who were handing out leaflets to people going into the Luzhniki stadium, were detained for several hours and then released without charge.
According to The Associated Press’ man on the spot, they were “urging concert-goers to sign petitions pressing Russian authorities to bring to justice the murderers of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and rights activist Natalya Estemirova.”
The police claimed that the Amnesty personnel didn’t have the necessary permits – a charge denied by the head of the organisation’s Moscow office, Sergei Nikitin.
Other tweeted reports suggest that tents being operated by Greenpeace and the ONE Campaign were also closed down by some of the 2,100 police officers and interior ministry troops who were on duty in and around the stadium.
Inside, the 62,000-strong crowd were treated to a set that included ‘The Return Of The Stingray Guitar’, but none of the other new songs that U2 have been previewing recently.
“What a time we’ve had in this extraordinary city of yours,” Bono announced to rapturous cheers. “We’ve spent some time with dancers, artists and singers. An amazing singer, Yuri Shevchuck, is with us tonight. What a great man!”
A huge star throughout Eastern Europe, Shevchuck joined them later on in the set for a mass singalong rendition of Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’.
There were also name-checks for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who Bono had met the previous day, Irish Ambassador Philip McDonagh, Aung San Suu Kyi, astronaut Frank de Winne and a familiar face sitting in the VIP seats.
“I’d like to introduce a great hero of ours – he has been a friend of mine for ten years – Mikhail Gorbachev is in the house!” Bono yelled to a mixture of boos and cheers – the former Soviet leader not universally popular in modern day Russia.
Acknowledging the atrocious weather conditions with a few bars of ‘Singin’ In The Rain’, Bono ended by praising, “This beautiful country, ancient and modern.”
It was, it seems, quite a night!