Hare Krishnas terrorized by Russian Police: Fair or Not?

The caption to the clip suggests that "Orthodox Police" are harming Krishna devotees.
Why would they do this?
I think I actually see some local Orthodox women trying to mediate.
Is this clip dated?
Does this harassment still go on anywhere?
At least the drunk lady in the Rasta hat is having fun!

On the one hand this is foreign to their culture.
On the other, every culture expects some tolerance?

reply to post by halfoldman

I think it's really disgusting beating up on holy people.
On the other hand, why can't they just look normal?

Very colorful and cool people, aren't they.

As far as the question...fair or not. is that even a serious question? Of course its not fair, those police need their teeth kicked in if the world was fair.

and to the comment of why can't they just look normal...like what, westerners? girls with sweatpants saying Juicy across their bottom and oversized hoodies?
Why can't you dress "normal"?

reply to post by SaturnFX

No, I meant why can't the cops dress normal?

Point taken however.
Clothing in the clip forms a major "us vs. them" barrier.

reply to post by halfoldman


I find this quite disturbing Thinking how jealous Krishna is with his devotees, this could mean a lot of shared pain in the beeb for the ones in charge of this...

Eh ? Didnt think there were any hare krishnas running around anymore.. Years ago they were a plague in airports...

I watched this twice. No one got terrorized. No one got beat up. The whole notion is ridiculous. I saw one Krishna guy shove a cop with no consequences to himself. Russia is not the United States. They don't have the Bill of Rights. There is no right to peaceful assembly. There is a law against loitering and against begging. There is nothing shown in this clip that warrants any sort of "outrage." This hardly even qualifies as an altercation. The cops yelled at some guys. I'm sure they're traumatized for life.

reply to post by schuyler

Fair enough I suppose.
That is certainly an interesting take on events in the video.

I don't see anyone loitering or begging.

I've actually never seen a Krishna devotee beg here.
They do sell their wares, but they're never pushy.

Quite the opposite, as a student I'd walk to the temple for free vegetarians meals, and they run a Food for Life program in some of the most forgotten slums.

Strange to think that in many struggles for social rights religion was always invoked.
Thinking of the song "Soon and very soon", and it immediately reminds me of the Civil Rights struggle in the US.
Here is one version by SA song-bird veteran Brenda Fassie.
Strange to think it can still get you killed in some countries:

I wonder how often this song was met with violence, since its performance in 1966.
Mirian Makeba with "Khawuleza".
Literally it means "hurry".

I have limited web connection at present, but I always thought music was a good way to open the heart.
I expected some historic music here.
Maybe I was wrong.
Well, all I have is Pete Seeger with "We shall overcome":

Two Krishna devotees travelling across the US.
Chanting in Times Square.
Strangely, as in the time of Caitanya, it is male "devotees" (or at least people easily gender segregate).
I don't see American police abusing them!

The Hare Krishnas dress that way, the orange like robes, because they are monks, and even western monks and nuns dress differently. Some Hare Krishna's wear white robes, but that's traditional dress for merried members, and some wear regular clothes too.

The Unitarians: We shall not be moved!