Yungblud on the death of Mahsa Amini: “I’m so f*****g angry”
The musician delivered an impassioned speech during his set at Firefly Music Festival over the weekend
By Tom Skinner
Yungblud spoke out about the death of Mahsa Amini during his show at Firefly Music Festival last weekend.
The Doncaster artist – real name Dominic Harrison – was performing at the event in Dover, Delaware on Saturday (September 24) when he talked to the crowd about the 22-year-old Iranian woman, who died in Tehran on September 16.
Amini had been arrested for not wearing her hijab in accordance with government standards. Police claimed she subsequently had a heart attack at the station before passing away after two days in a coma.
But eyewitnesses and those who were detained with Amini claimed she was severely beaten by the authorities. The young woman’s death has sparked significant protests across Iran. Numerous world leaders and celebrities have expressed their solidarity.
“I’m so fucking angry right now and every time something in the world happens like this, I ask myself if I’m gonna fucking talk about it or not,” Yungblud told the audience at Firefly 2022.
“But there are thousands of you out there and there are thousands watching at home. So today I have no fucking choice. Last week in the country of Iran, a young girl called Mahsa Amini was murdered for wearing her hair outside of her hijab.”
He continued: “I am not gonna stand here and question someone’s religion, but I am gonna fucking fight for expression. I am gonna fight for freedom and I am gonna fight for the women of fucking Iran right now.
“The right to express yourself is your right, and your right alone. Since last week in the country of Iran, the internet has been disabled in some places, meaning they cannot communicate with the rest of the fucking world. So it is up to us to talk for them.”
Harrison has since posted a clip of his impassioned speech on social media, captioning it “SPEAK UP!!!” You can watch the video in the below tweet.
Harrison’s latter comment was in reference to the Iranian government’s attempts to suppress the protests by blocking access to social media and messaging apps such as Instagram and Whatsapp. The most severe internet restrictions since in the country since 2019 have also been imposed.
Additionally, those taking action on the streets have had tear gas used against them while also being shot at with pellets and water cannons.
Yungblud, meanwhile, released his self-titled third album on September 2. He’s due to embark on a UK area tour next February.