Punk band Pussy Riot takes responsibility for World Cup pitch invasion protest

Russian protest group and Pussy Riot has claimed responsibility for four people who ran onto the field and disrupted the World Cup final.

The punk band said in a statement posted on their Twitter feed on Sunday that the disruption was a protest.

The four people, a mix of men and women, charged onto the field in the 52nd minute simultaneously, wearing what appeared to be old-fashioned police uniforms.

They were tackled to the ground by stewards, but not before one shared a high five with a French player in the centre circle.

On Twitter, the band said that the uniformed protesters represented the “heavenly policeman” created by Russian poet Dmitriy Prigov that “rises as an example of the nationhood”.

They contrasted that with the “Earthly policeman” who “gets ready to disperse rallies”, “feels indifferent” to hunger strikes, and “imprisons people for ‘reposts’ and ‘likes’”.

In their post, the group called for the freeing of all political prisoners, not imprisoning people for “liking” social media posts, and stopping “illegal arrests on rallies”.

They also called for the government to allow “political competition”, to “not fabricate criminal accusations and keep people in prison for no reason”.

How World Cup fans are being won over by delicious Russian food

Pussy Riot rose to global prominence with their daring outdoor performances critical of Russia President Vladimir Putin.