After various reports that Twisted Sister‘s 1984 hit “We’re Not Gonna Take It” was being used as a rallying cry by Ukrainians over the weekend, the band’s leader Dee Snider — who is part Ukrainian — says that he couldn’t be prouder.
“I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as their battle cry,” Snider wrote in a tweet. “My grandfather was Ukrainian before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can’t happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA.”
Prior to Snider’s endorsement, the 1984 track off the heavy metal band’s third album, Stay Hungry, was being used as a rallying cry following Russian Vladimir Putin’s order for an attack on Ukraine, which has resulted in nearly 200 deaths so far. Snider took to Twitter to boast his support, as his grandfather was Ukrainian.
I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their battlecry. My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can’t happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA
— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) February 26, 2022
Snider solely wrote “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” and did not approve of its use as a rallying cry for those protesting COVID mandates. He explained yesterday as to why:
People are asking me why I endorsed the use of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” for the Ukrainian people and did not for the anti-maskers. Well, one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is a infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.
— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) February 27, 2022
Previously, Snider decried Paul Ryan’s use of the song at a Republican rally in 2012. In 2018, Snider dedicated a performance of the song to striking teachers in New York.
To help support Ukrainians in this crisis, you can donate via the Red Cross.
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