A man carrying a rainbow flag and dressed in a T-shirt in support of Iranian women and Ukraine entered the lawn of the Doha stadium on Monday during the meeting of the 2022 World Cup between Portugal and Ukraine. Uruguay. A man has been arrested after entering the field with a rainbow flag during the Portugal-Uruguay match. After running across the pitch for about 30 seconds, the young man was intercepted by security guards and calmly escorted by security out of the Lusail stadium, where the final will be played on December 18.
Man released “without further consequence”
The Italian who entered the lawn of the Portugal-Uruguay match at the 2022 World Cup on Monday, with a rainbow flag and a T-shirt in support of Iranian women and Ukraine, was quickly released “without another consequence,” the Italian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. “After a brief detention” whose location has not been specified, the man identified as Mario Ferri, born in 1987, “has already been released by the authorities without further consequence”, the ministry said in a press release, confirming information obtained from a local source by AFP.
The scene was shown only fleetingly on television images. No information on this man was immediately available.
A Superman t-shirt
The organizers of the World are the target of many criticisms, in particular on the rights of LGBT + people. Homosexuality is subject to criminal prosecution in Qatar.
The man had a T-shirt stamped with the logo of Superman with, on the front, an inscription in support of Ukraine (“Save Ukraine”, “Save Ukraine”) and on the back a message asking for respect for Iranian women (“Respect for Iranian Woman”).
If FIFA assured that flags or clothes in the colors of the rainbow would be accepted in the stadiums, in fact, these were confiscated on several occasions by the security forces.
Bracers in the stands
Seven European selections had said they intended to have their captain wear a “One Love” rainbow armband but finally gave up, Fifa having threatened them with sporting sanctions.
Britain’s Sports Minister Stuart Andrew announced he would wear it on Tuesday against England-Wales, two of seven selections who waived. The English fan group “3LionsPride”, which represents LGBT + supporters, decided before this World Cup that its members would not go to Qatar.
“These matches should be a celebration for all the fans, but unfortunately a lot of them feel that’s not the case. It’s not a tournament for them. They felt they couldn’t to be part of it and it is not acceptable”, regretted Stuart Andrew.
It will not be a first at the World Cup as German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, in charge of sports, wore it next to Fifa President Gianni Infantino during Germany’s 2-1 defeat against Japan last Wednesday. The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, did the same during the victory of the Red Devils against Canada in Qatar (2-1).