MOSCOW, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Police in Moscow said Sunday they were investigating a protest performance by the female punk band Pussy Riot at the Russian city's largest cathedral.
"A criminal case has been opened against the girls who shouted insults at believers and churchmen at the Christ the Savior Cathedral," the police said in a statement posted on their Web site.
Clad in brightly colored ski masks, the band stood at the altar Tuesday and performed a version of what they called a "punk prayer" titled "Holy [expletive]," which included the line "Holy Mother, Blessed Virgin, chase Putin out." The band was detained briefly after the performance, RIA Novosti reported.
The demonstration occurred less than a week before presidential elections in which Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will make his bid for a third term as president. RIA Novosti said Putin faces the largest show of opposition since he first came to power in 2000, though he is still expected to win.
Pussy Riot is known for its controversial public protests. The band made headlines in January after a performance in Red Square calling for "Revolt in Russia."
