Clashes between Iranian fans before Wales game

Leagues

Iran‘s political turmoil appeared to overshadow the national team’s second match at the World Cup, as pro-government fans harassed anti-government supporters outside the stadium in Qatar before their 2-0 loss to Wales on Friday.

Some Iran fans confiscated Persian pre-revolutionary Iranian flags from supporters entering the stadium and shouted insults at those wearing shirts with the slogan of the country’s protest movement: “Woman, Life, Freedom.”

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Iran’s players sang during the playing of their national anthem, despite not singing in their opening game earlier this week in an apparent show of support for protesters back home.

Loud jeers were heard from Iranian supporters as the anthem played, with the team singing quietly as it played.

Iranian authorities have responded with deadly force to suppress protests which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in September following her arrest for wearing a headscarf incorrectly.

In the stadium, displays of support for protesters included a woman holding a soccer jersey with “Mahsa Amini – 22” printed on the back and blood red tears painted beneath her eyes — a reference to the woman whose death in police custody ignited the protests.

Small groups of men angrily chanted “The Islamic Republic of Iran” at women giving interviews about the protests to foreign media.

Many female fans were visibly shaken as Iranian government supporters surrounded them with national flags and filmed them on their phones.

Shouting matches erupted outside the security checkpoint at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan between fans screaming “Women, Life, Freedom” and others shouting back “The Islamic Republic.”

Ahead of the match, a man wearing a jersey declaring support for the protests was escorted into the stadium by security officers, a Reuters witness said.

Reuters could not immediately confirm why the man, wearing a shirt declaring “Women, Life, Freedom” was being accompanied by three security officers in blue.

A spokesperson for the organising supreme committee referred Reuters to FIFA and Qatar’s list of prohibited items, but without saying which prohibited item he was carrying.

The rules ban items with “political, offensive, or discriminatory messages”.

Some anti-government fans waved signs in support of the protest movement at Iran’s first match against England earlier this week, which they lost 6-2.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

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