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AL RAYYAN, Qatar, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Iran’s nationwide soccer group sang in the course of the enjoying of their nationwide anthem at their second World Cup match towards Wales on Friday having avoided doing so of their opening sport earlier this week in obvious help of protesters again dwelling.
Loud jeers have been heard from Iranian supporters because the anthem performed, with the group singing quietly because it performed.
Iranian authorities have responded with lethal power to suppress protests which have marked one of many boldest challenges to its clerical rulers for the reason that 1979 Islamic revolution.
Contained in the stadium forward of the match, quite a lot of supporters had proven help for the protests.
A lady with darkish pink tears painted from her eyes held aloft a soccer jersey with “Mahsa Amini – 22” printed on the again – a reference to the 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish girl whose loss of life whereas within the custody of morality police two months in the past ignited the nationwide protests, a Reuters photograph confirmed.
A person standing subsequent to her held a shirt printed with the phrases “WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM”, one of many foremost chants of the protests.
Forward of the World Cup, protesters had taken coronary heart from obvious exhibits of help from quite a lot of Iran’s nationwide groups which avoided singing the nationwide anthem, such because the basketball group.
Group Melli, because the soccer group is understood, have historically been an enormous supply of nationwide pleasure in Iran, however they’ve discovered themselves caught up in politics within the World Cup run-up, with anticipation over whether or not they would use soccer’s showpiece occasion as a platform to get behind the protesters.
Requested on Thursday in regards to the unrest at dwelling Iran nationwide group striker Mehdi Taremi mentioned they have been in Qatar to play soccer. “We aren’t underneath strain,” he added after gamers refused to sing the nationwide anthem of their first match on the World Cup towards England.
Earlier than travelling to Doha, the group met with hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Photographs of the gamers with Raisi, considered one of them bowing in entrance of him, went viral and prompted an outcry on social media.
Reporting by Martin Petty and Maya Gebeily; Writing by Tom Perry; Enhancing by Toby Chopra
Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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