A Concert Incident in St. Petersburg Involving Security and a Civilian Dispute
In St. Petersburg, security forces attended a performance by the Zero People group, ordering attendees to lie on the floor and beginning document checks. A witness account from Fontanka provides details of a confrontation between a concertgoer and riot police during the incident.
In a clip captured at the scene, a young woman shouts that she paid for her ticket and then strikes a helmeted security officer who is equipped with a rifle. The exchange escalates as the officer retorts that she must remain still and, with firm restraint, pushes her against a wall.
Alexander Khinshtein, a deputy of the State Duma, later spoke on his Telegram channel about the event. He indicated that the girl had been detained and was being taken to the regional police headquarters. He also noted that authorities were deciding whether to initiate criminal proceedings related to the incident.
That evening the Zero People band, a side project of Alexander Krasovitsky who serves as vocalist and keyboardist for Animal Jazz, was scheduled to perform in a St. Petersburg venue identified as the Cosmonaut club. Reports confirmed that Russian security forces arrived after complaints from activists were filed. The band arrangement has been described as a side project connected to Animal Jazz members, drawing attention from supporters and critics alike.
78.ru reported that uniformed officers with faces hidden entered the club, escorted the minors outside, and then ordered a lineup check for all attendees to verify documents. The sequence of actions raised concerns about the treatment of young people in the crowd and the overall handling of the event by security personnel.
Prior to these events, activists publicly addressed appeals to higher authorities, including the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Investigative Committee. They urged a cancellation of all performances by the Zero People project, citing concerns about safety and rights at events featuring this side project. The tensions surrounding the group have been part of a broader discourse about music, power, and civil liberties in the region.
Earlier in the year, another concert by Xolidayboy in Nizhny Novgorod was canceled only hours before the scheduled start time, contributing to a pattern that critics say is shaping the artistic landscape. Observers note that the balance between artistic expression and public order continues to be a topic of debate among fans, cultural institutions, and authorities alike, with incidents of this kind fueling ongoing discussions about security measures at performances and the rights of attendees.