Moscow's Tagansky Court on Thursday ordered that the three accused in the case of the punk prayer in the Christ the Savior Cathedral should be kept in detention until June 24. Photo: Maria Alyokhina, alleged member of the band Pussy Riot, in the Tagansky Court.

Supporters of the arrested girls gathered at the courthouse long before the trial was due to get underway. They were expected to give a performance and impromptu lecture dedicated to the situation surrounding the girls. However, police began arresting the activists almost immediately.

Orthodox supporters were also arrested. One of them was taken away for a placard with a black cross and the text “One Nation under God,” which he raised while Artemy Troitsky was speaking.

Music critic and former Playboy Russia editor-in-chief Artemy Troitsky himself showed the crowd his t-shirt and came out in support of the Pussy Riot performance in the Christ the Savior Cathedral.

Once emotions had died down a little, the accused were brought into court (Photo: Maria Alyokhina), and the press were allowed into the building.

There were not enough seats for everyone. In the end the judge had to remove the cameras, leaving only newspaper journalists and radio correspondents.

The Court extended the detention of Natalia Tolokonnikova, who complained about the lack of medical care in jail and headaches.

This was followed by a similar decision for Maria Alyokhina, who was reciting Mandelstam’s poems.

And just before 8 p.m. Moscow time the judge Ivanova extended the detention of Yekaterina Samutsevich, the third person accused in the Pussy Riot case.