Qatar 2022: Iranian Protesters Removed From Stadium by Security Officers Before Wales and Iran World Cup Clash

Qatar 2022: Iranian Protesters Removed From Stadium by Security Officers Before Wales and Iran World Cup Clash

Byron Pillay
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:18 PM
In this article:
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FIFA World Cup
International
  • Iranian fans at the Wales and Iran World Cup game used the fixture to protest against their government
  • Security officers confiscated any banners and t-shirts which were deemed to be prohibited items
  • Football fans drew attention to Mahsa Amini's story, the young Iranian girl who died under suspicious circumstances

Security officers at the FIFA World Cup have clamped down on protesters at the tournament.

Officers were spotted at Iran and Wales' game, removing Iranian anti-government protesters in the stands.

Qatar 2022, Iranian, Protesters, Removed, Security Officers, Wales, Iran, FIFA World Cup, Clash
An Iranian supporter who held up a t-shirt in memory of Mahsa Amini, was soon confronted by security officers in the stadium. Image: Ulrik Pedersen
Source: Getty Images

Reuters reported that one man was escorted out by officers after he was spotted wearing a ‘Women, Life, Freedom’ jersey.

Numerous Iranian fans have drawn attention to their problems back home through their signage or attire at the World Cup.

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A spokesperson for the organizing committee indicated that the man was removed for bringing a prohibited item into the stadium. While he didn’t elaborate on the prohibited item, one of the rules bans all items with a political, offensive, or discriminatory message on them.

Honouring Mahsa Amini

Another female fan inside the stadium was also confronted by security officers for the jersey she was carrying.

The woman, who had dark red tears painted on her face, carried a football jersey with the name Mahsa Amini and the number 22 printed on the back.

Who was Mahsa Amini?

Amini was a 22-year-old Iranian woman whose death sparked mass protests in the country. As noted by Wikipedia, she was arrested by police for not wearing her hijab according to government standards. Police claimed that she suffered a heart attack at the station and was transferred to a hospital, where she later died.

A woman who was detained with Amini claims that she was severely beaten by police, which resulted in her passing. The protests following her death are some of the worst the country has seen since the 1979 revolution in Iran.

Iran players booed and jeered by their own supporters while singing the national anthem ahead of the Wales clash

The Iranian national team felt the wrath of their supporters after they decided not to protest against their government by singing the country’s national anthem versus Wales.

Prior to their World Cup group opener against England on Monday, the Persian Stars stood in silence as their anthem was played in protest against the country’s government regime.

The Iran squad sang along ahead of kick-off against Wales, with a large number of fans in attendance heard booing and whistling, Sports Brief reported.

Authors
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Byron Pillay
Byron Pillay is a sports writer and Head of the Department at Sports Brief (joined in 2022) with over 10 years of experience in community journalism and a degree in journalism from Caxton's Cadet School.
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