Madonna drops swastika, backs Pussy Riot

From the AFP:

Madonna dropped a swastika that outraged France’s right-wing party but again demanded the freedom of jailed Russian girl punk band Pussy Riot during her final European show last night in Nice.

The video that accompanied the pop icon’s performance in Nice of “Nobody Knows Me” still showed National Front leader Marine Le Pen, but a question mark replaced a swastika that had previously flashed on the politician’s forehead.

The appearance of the Nazi symbol at Madonna’s Paris performance last month enraged the party, which launched legal action against the 54-year-old singer and threatened to return to the courts should she use it again.

A local party supporter, Gael Nofri, welcomed Madonna’s decision.
“As far as I know, Madonna has never changed a video clip. This is proof that our arguments were valid. This is excellent news,” he said.

Madonna did also reiterate solidarity with three punk rockers jailed by Russian courts this month over a stunt in a Moscow cathedral criticising President Vladimir Putin.

“Free Pussy Riot!” Madonna shouted from the stage to a packed stadium in the southern French city.

“I’ve seen some very scary things,” the star told the Nice crowd, slamming “intolerance” and calling for the respect of “human dignity”.

“The real deal is freedom and not just for Pussy Riot,” she said, adding later: “Every human being deserves to be treated equally.”

“We have to be freedom fighters.”