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Feb 18, 2014 By Mike Hilleary Photography by Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images Pussy Riot

Hardly letting their newfound freedom keep them instigating the powers that be, Pussy Riot members Masha Alyokhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova, along with eight local activists and journalists, were arrested earlier today by Russian police in Sochi. The Guardian reports that the group was detained on the suspicion of stealing a woman’s handbag. Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina tweeted the news of their detention from their cell phones, updating regularly. “Unbelievable lawlessness, even we are amazed,” wrote Tolokonnikova. “Beat on the floor of the department, in the Olympic capital!” Tolokonnikova added, “They dragged me on the floor in the hall of the department, hands tied behind back and thrown to the floor.”

All those detained were eventually released after several hours in the police station. As soon as they exited the building Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina donned their group’s trademark balaclavas and began singing on the steps.

Tolokonnikova and Alyokhina revealed that they were at the Olympics to record a new protest song called “Putin Will Teach You to Love the Motherland,” and were simply walking on the street when police took them into custody. The arrest was actually their third since arriving in Sochi on Sunday. After being arrested to determine their identity, Alexander Popkov, a lawyer for the women, says “on Monday they were detained again and questioned for several hours. And then today, for supposed theft from the hotel. Which is being investigated by 12 specialist investigators.”

“Our authorities have this amazing ability to organise a scandal,” continued Popkov. “If they hadn’t arrested them, there would have been none of this crazy media attention.”