Patriarch Kirill of Moscow in 1997. In his 2002 interview with "Izvestia", Metropolitan Kirill called the allegations about his profiteering a political campaign against him. Alexander Pochinok who was the minister of taxes and levies (1999-2000), said in 2009 that Kirill had no involvement in the violations. Three female members of the feminist group Pussy Riot were arrested in March 2012 for performing a song in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow during which they called on the Virgin Mary to "chase Putin out". The women were arrested for hooliganism and were later sentenced to two years' imprisonment. The song contained swear words
2014 anti-war protests in Russia dozen activists were arrested outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow for protesting against Russian president Vladimir Putin. Another anti-war rally with about 5,000 to 20,000 demonstrators took place on Pushkinskaya Square in Moscow on 21 September 2014. The "Washington Post" reported that "tens of thousands" protested the war in Ukraine with a peace march in downtown Moscow "under heavy police supervision". There were minor scuffles with pro-Russian supporters, but no serious violence or arrests were reported. About a thousand people also gathered outside the Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg to protest against Russia's involvement in Ukraine. Thousands of people around