PARIS — Supporters of the Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot bared their breasts, covered their faces with ski masks and cross-dressed Friday in a series of protests that stretched from New York to Copenhagen to denounce the musicians' conviction.
In a Paris square, supporters followed the trial by phone and shouted in unison with protesters in Moscow. In Kiev, Ukraine, four women, including one who was topless, used a chain saw to cut down a cross. And in cities across Europe and the United States, young people donned the neon-colored balaclavas that have become symbols of the band.
In New York, about 40 protesters gathered, holding up banners that read: "We are all hooligans."
Friday's demonstrations seemed unlikely to gain the momentum needed to exert any real pressure on Russia's government.
Some men at a gathering in the British capital even wore dresses to show solidarity.
"These three girls are just the tip of the iceberg," said Adam Adamson, a 26-year-old who set up the Facebook page for the London protest. "Many have been arrested because they were opposing (Vladimir) Putin."