Ukraine condemns U.S. rock group's anti-Russia prank
KYIV. Aug 5 (Interfax) - Ukraine has condemned the American rock group Bloodhound Gang's onstage prank of humiliating the Russian national flag.
"The Ukrainian law enforcement services will deal with this incident and they have taken appropriate measures," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry told Interfax.
Concerning the incidents at clubs in Odessa and Kyiv, "there is every moral and ethical reason to consider the American rock group's stunt unacceptable," the Foreign Ministry said.
"The desecration of national symbols cannot be justified by any onstage pranks," it said.
Ukrainian media reported earlier that the scandalous American rock group started its tour of the Commonwealth of Independent States from Ukraine. "A rock musician urinated on the stage, targeting the blue and white Ukrainian national flag" during a concert in Kyiv on July 30, but the audience was very much amused, media reports said.
The next day, bassist Jared Hasselhoff, 41, used the Russian flag as toilet paper at the Ibitsya club in Odessa . He threw the desecrated flag into the crowd, where it was caught by a fan.
The incidents were video-taped and posted on the Internet, after which of the rock group's concert in southern Russia was cancelled, even though the rock musicians had been paid for it. They were pelted with tomatoes and eggs before their departure from the Anapa airport, and they were also attacked by Cossacks, one of whom wanted to strangle the bassist with an American flag. The flag was torn into pieces in front of the musicians after police intervened.
Although the rock group apologized, it had to leave Russia.
