Razeen Gutta
The Iranian national team wore black jackets on Tuesday to cover the country’s emblem as a show of solidarity with those protesting against the repression of women in the Middle Eastern country.
Following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, Iran has been faced with a great deal of unrest — resulting in mass protest action across the country and beyond. The young woman was arrested by the country’s morality police on 13 September for allegedly failing to wear a hijab properly and died in custody.
Although Iran’s friendly with Senegal took place in Austria, the growing protest action was showcased on the football field during the national anthems.
The Iranian players walked out with all-black jackets to hide the country’s colours and emblem.
The game was played behind closed doors, with Iran’s football association holding the rights to the game.
However this did not stop large numbers of protestors from gathering around the ground in a bid to make their voices heard.
Bayer Leverkusen star striker Sardar Azmoun, who scored for Iran in the 1-1 draw on the night, was among the players who expressed their solidarity with the Iranian demonstrators. Azmoun called out the government without holding back.
“At worst I’ll be dismissed from the national team, no problem. I’d sacrifice that for one hair on the heads of Iranian women,” he wrote in an Instagram story.
“This story will not be deleted. They can do whatever they want. Shame on you for killing so easily; long live Iranian women.” Image source: @stevecockburn
