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AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Tensions ran precocious astatine Iran’s 2nd lucifer astatine the World Cup connected Friday arsenic fans supporting the Iranian authorities harassed those protesting against it and stadium information seized flags, T-shirts and different items expressing enactment for the protestation question that has gripped the Islamic Republic.
Some fans were stopped by stadium information from bringing successful Persian pre-revolutionary flags to the lucifer against Wales astatine the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Others carrying specified flags had them ripped from their hands by pro-government Iran fans, who besides shouted insults astatine fans wearing T-shirts with the slogan of the protestation question gripping the country, “Woman, Life, Freedom.”
Unlike successful their archetypal lucifer against England, the Iran players sang on to their nationalist anthem earlier the lucifer arsenic immoderate fans successful the stadium wept, whistled and booed.
The nationalist squad has travel nether adjacent scrutiny for immoderate statements oregon gestures astir the nationwide protests that person wracked Iran for weeks.
Shouting matches erupted successful lines extracurricular the stadium betwixt fans screaming “Women, Life, Freedom” and others shouting backmost “The Islamic Republic!”
Mobs of men surrounded 3 antithetic women giving interviews astir the protests to overseas media extracurricular the stadium, disrupting broadcasts arsenic they angrily chanted, “The Islamic Republic of Iran!” Many pistillate fans appeared shaken arsenic Iranian authorities supporters shouted astatine them successful Farsi and filmed them up adjacent connected their phones.
After Iran’s 2-0 triumph, crowds of Iranian fans wildly waving nationalist flags streamed retired of the stadium. They thronged a radical of protesters who held up photos of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old whose Sept. 16 decease successful the custody of the morality constabulary archetypal unleashed the protests, yelling “Victory!” to drown retired chants of Amini’s name.
One 35-year-old pistillate named Maryam, who similar different Iran fans declined to springiness her past sanction for fearfulness of authorities reprisals, started to outcry arsenic shouting men blowing horns encircled her and filmed her face. She had the words “Woman Life Freedom” painted connected her face.
“We privation to rise consciousness astir his apprehension and astir the women’s rights movement,” said Maryam, who lives successful London but is primitively from Tehran. “I’m not present to combat with anyone, but radical person been attacking maine and calling maine a terrorist. All I’m present to accidental is that shot doesn’t substance if radical are getting killed successful the streets.”
Maryam and her friends had worn hats emblazoned with the sanction of an outspoken Iranian erstwhile shot subordinate Voria Ghafouri, who had criticized Iranian authorities and was arrested successful Iran connected Thursday connected accusations of spreading propaganda against the government. She said Iranian authorities supporters had taken the hats from their heads.
Ghafouri, who is Kurdish, was a prima subordinate of Iran’s 2018 World Cup team, but was amazingly not named successful the squad for this twelvemonth successful Qatar.
“It’s evident that the lucifer had go precise politicized this week. You tin spot radical from the aforesaid state who hatred each other,” said Mustafa, a 40-year-old Iran instrumentality who besides declined to springiness his past name. “I deliberation the apprehension of Voria has besides affected nine successful Iran a lot.”
Furious protesters successful Iran person been venting their choler implicit societal and governmental repression and the state-mandated headscarf, oregon hijab, for women. The demonstrations person rapidly grown into calls for the downfall of the Islamic Republic itself. At slightest 419 radical person been killed since the protests erupted, according to monitoring radical Human Rights Activists successful Iran.
The turmoil has overshadowed the commencement of Iran’s World Cup campaign. The opening lucifer against England connected Monday was the country of protests arsenic anti-government fans waved signs and chanted successful the stands. Before that match, which Iran mislaid 6-2, its players remained soundless arsenic their nationalist anthem played and didn’t observe their 2 goals. On Friday, they sang on to the anthem and celebrated wildly erstwhile they scored doubly against Wales.
Ayeh Shams, an Iranian from the United States, said information guards confiscated her emblem due to the fact that it had the connection “women” written connected it.
“We’re conscionable present to bask the games and springiness a level for the Iranian radical who are warring against the Islamic regime,” Shams said.
Zeinlabda Arwa, a information defender astatine the stadium, confirmed that authorities had been fixed orders to confiscate thing but the emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“Whether you’re talking astir Iran oregon Qatar oregon immoderate country, you are lone allowed to bring successful the mean flag,” she said.
An aggravated radical of Iranian authorities supporters shouted astatine Elyas Doerr, a 16-year-old Iranian lad surviving successful Arizona who was wearing the Persian emblem arsenic a cape, until helium took it disconnected and and enactment it successful his bag.
“They’re not liking that it’s a governmental statement,” helium said, adding that different Iranian fans had approached him to accidental they appreciated the gesture.
A 32-year-old Iranian pistillate surviving successful confederate Spain, who declined to springiness her sanction for fearfulness of reprisals, scrambled aft the lucifer to retrieve her chapeau and emblem that had been confiscated by stadium security. She said Qatari constabulary ordered her to scrub disconnected the names of Iranian protesters killed and arrested by information forces that she had written connected her arms and chest, astatine the behest of Iranian authorities supporters. At the game, conscionable traces of ink remained connected her tegument that was rubbed raw.
“Today’s shot acquisition was the astir intimidating I’ve ever been in, earlier and aft the match,” she said. She described dozens of men who surrounded her and tried to smother her look with their Iranian flags, snatching her signs arsenic Qatari information stood by.
“I don’t attraction astir the win, to beryllium honest. That’s not my priority.”
After the game, Iranian authorities tv broadcast patriotic songs and showed footage of radical bursting retired into cheers crossed the country.
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