Coldplay performs an Iranian protest song – which has been BANNED by the Islamic Republic – at its sold-out show in Buenos Aires in support of protesters
- Coldplay performed an Iranian protest song with exiled actress Golshifteh Farahani
- The song, called Baraye, has become the anthem of protesters across Iran
- The band performed the song at a concert broadcast in 80 different countries
Coldplay expressed support for Iranians who took part in the protests at their sold-out concert in Argentina by playing a song banned from the country.
The group performed “Baraye”, which became the anthem of the Iranian protest movement, during their concert in Buenos Aires.
Exiled Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani, who has not been allowed to return to Iran since appearing in an American film in 2009, sang the Farsi song with the group.
The protests have been going on for more than a month following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who is believed to have died in custody after being tortured by Iranian morality police for not wearing the hijab properly on September 16.
Amini was first arrested in Tehran for an alleged violation of Iran’s strict dress rules for women, based on Islamic Sharia.
“We would like to do something to show that we support all women and everyone who fights for freedom in Iran,” frontman Chris Martin told the crowd of 72,000.
The concert was broadcast live in 80 different countries and seen in over 3,400 theaters – which is part of why the band decided to make a statement.
Coldplay performed a song that has been adopted by young Iranians as a protest anthem after a month of protests sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini (pictured performing in Buenos Aires)
Mahsa Amini died in custody on September 16 after being detained in Tehran by Iranian vice police
At least 253 protesters have been killed across Iran, including 34 children and 19 women, since ongoing nationwide protests began on September 16.
The band performed Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour’s banned protest song Baraye, which became the anthem of the protests.
The song was uploaded by him on September 27 and gained 40 million views in 48 hours before being shut down by the Iranian government on September 29.
Chris Martin spoke about the restrictions on free speech that Generation Z in Iran face when addressing crowds in Argentina.
He said: “Maybe you see on the news right now that there are so many places where people can’t congregate like this and be free to be themselves.”
“Whether it’s to listen to what they want to listen to, to wear what they want to wear, to think what they want to think, to love who they want to love and especially right now, that’s very clear in Iran.”
Golshifteh Farahani, who has not been allowed to return to Iran since 2009, sang the Farsi song with Coldplay
Shervin Hajipour wrote and composed Baraye based on the tweets of ordinary Iranians, who shared their grief and pain caused by the actions of the Iranian state, following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.
Chris Martin said he and the group thought “what could we do” to show their support for protesters and women in Iran who are fighting for their freedom.
Martin said: “We decided that now there is a very beautiful and famous song in Iran by a lovely guy called Shervin Hajipour, he has a song called Baraye and we asked our friend Gol if she would come and sing it with we”.
Chris Martin explained “Now this song is in Farsi so I can’t really sing it, ha ha, but we’re gonna sing it together and send it with love from Buenos Aires.”
