Moscow Punk Festival Disrupted by Security Forces Amid Increased Crackdown on Dissent

Russian law enforcement interrupted a punk music festival at a nightclub in Moscow on Tuesday evening, halting attendees and inspecting their phones for subscriptions to opposition and anti-war Telegram channels, according to reports from exiled media.

National Guard and riot police units from OMON arrived at the MO[TRI] club in northeastern Moscow just prior to the start of the Harvest Fest concert, as recounted by witnesses to platforms like IStories and Dozhd.

Witnesses reported that police instructed concertgoers to lie face down on the floor while they searched their phones and identification documents.

Those discovered to be subscribed to anti-war Telegram channels faced pressure to sign contracts with the Defense Ministry, as noted by a source cited by IStories.

The same source indicated that several individuals whose phones revealed subscriptions to Ukrainian channels were assaulted.

Reports suggested that batons and stun guns were employed against those who resisted, according to information from one source to Dozhd.

Officers also recorded the phone numbers of attendees and took photographs of their identification documents, the reports detailed.

It remains uncertain if any arrests were made. The rights organization OVD-Info mentioned that a lawyer arrived at the club but was denied entry, with police claiming that those inside would be released once their phones were examined.

The club ultimately declared that the concert was canceled, without specifying the reasons for this decision.

This event followed another incident in Moscow on Monday, where security forces halted a New Year’s performance by the Kirill Ganin Conceptual Theater that featured nude performers.

Since the beginning of its large-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has intensified scrutiny of musicians, artists, and cultural venues, particularly targeting those viewed as promoting dissent or opposing viewpoints.