7. Punk Prayer By Pussy Riot
Pussy Riot ignited an international firestorm with their performance Punk Prayer in February 2012. Five members of the 11-person collective entered Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ The Savior and there staged a performance of shouts, dances, and guitar. The action was in opposition to the national church’s continued support for President Vladimir Putin. Though the group was purported to be somewhat reviled for the actions in their home nation, Western audiences rallied with cries of “Free Pussy Riot” after three of the performers were arrested for “hooliganism” and then imprisoned for the crime that prosecutors claimed was motivated by religious hatred.