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Cossacks use whips on Pussy Riot members in Sochi, take away masks

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A Cossack militiaman attacks Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and a photographer as she and fellow members of the punk group Pussy Riot, including Maria Alekhina, right, in the pink balaclava, stage a protest performance in Sochi, Russia, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. The group had gathered in a downtown Sochi restaurant, about 30km (21miles) from where the Winter Olympics are being held. They ran out of the restaurant wearing brightly colored clothes and ski masks and were set upon by about a dozen Cossacks, who are used by police authorities in Russia to patrol the streets. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

SOCHI, Russia – Cossack militia attacked the Pussy Riot punk group with whips and removed members’ trademark ski masks in the Olympic host city on Wednesday.

The group had gathered in a downtown Sochi restaurant, about 30kms (21miles) from where the Winter Olympics are being held. They ran out of the restaurant wearing brightly colored clothes and ski masks and were set upon by about a dozen Cossacks, who are used by police authorities to patrol the streets.

The group tried to start performing, but a Cossack smashed their guitar. The incident lasted less than five minutes and one Pussy Riot member, a man, was left with blood on his face, saying he was pushed to the ground. Police arrived and questioned witnesses. No one was arrested.

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