Pro-regime Iran fans hunted down anti-government supporters and attacked them outside a stadium in Qatar on Friday, ahead of their team's 2-0 World Cup victory over Wales.
Several political issues have cast a shadow over the tournament, with the turmoil of the Iranian people becoming a particular focus during both their matches - against England on Monday, and Wales today.
Unlike in their first match against England, the Iranian players sang along to their national anthem before the match against Wales, as some fans in the stadium wept.
But there we ugly scenes outside the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, where some pro-government Iran fans confiscated Persian pre-revolutionary Iranian flags from supporters entering. They also shouted insults at those wearing shirts with the slogan of the country's protest movement: 'Woman, Life, Freedom.'
Small mobs of men angrily chanted 'the Islamic Republic of Iran' at women giving interviews about the protests to foreign media outside the stadium.
Shouting matches erupted outside the security checkpoint at the stadium between fans shouting 'women, life, freedom' and others yelling back 'the Islamic Republic'.
Many female fans were visibly shaken as Iranian government supporters surrounded them with national flags and filmed them on their phones.
One 35-year-old woman, Maryam, who, like other Iran fans, declined to give her last name for fear of government reprisals, started to cry as shouting men blowing horns surrounded her and filmed her face up close.
She had the words 'Woman Life Freedom' painted on her face.
Another woman, Vanya, 21, who lives in Qatar, said she is terrified to ever go back to Iran after what she experienced outside the stadium on Friday.
'I'm genuinely afraid for my safety here,' she said.
A group of fans wearing hats emblazoned with the name of the Iranian former soccer player Voria Ghafori, who was arrested in Iran on Thursday, said they had their hats stolen by government supporters.
'It's obvious that the match had become very politicised this week. You can see people from the same country who hate each other,' said Mustafa, a 40-year-old Iran fan. 'I think the arrest of Voria has also affected society in Iran a lot.'
Some fans said stadium security removed items with messages in support of the protest movement.
Ayeh Shams, from the US, who was at the game with her brother, said security guards confiscated her flag because it had the word 'women' on it.
'We're first-generation American. Our parents were born in Iran. We're just here to enjoy the games and give a platform for the Iranian people who are fighting against the Islamic regime,' Ms Shams said.
Some anti-government fans waved signs in support of the protest movement at Iran's first match against England earlier this week.
Before that game, Iran's players remained silent as their national anthem played.
On Friday, they sang along - albeit without much enthusiasm. It was reported on Wednesday that Iran's footballers had been warned by officials in Tehran they face retribution for their 'insulting' decision not to sing their national anthem on Monday.
But as the anthem played, many Iranian fans jeered, booed and whistled.
Fans in the stands also displayed slogans supporting the protests, drawing particular attention to human rights issues and the plight of women.
Qatari authorities took particular issue with one female fan, who had painted her face white – with bloody tears pouring out from her eyes.
She held up an Iranian football shirt displaying the name of Mahsa Amini and the number 22 - her age when she died. It appeared one stadium security guard confronted her over her demonstration. It was unclear if she was removed.
The unrest in Iran has been spurred by the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in the custody of the country's morality police.
It first focused on the state-mandated hijab, or headscarf, for women, but has since morphed into one of the most serious threats to the Islamic Republic since the chaotic years following its founding.
Iranian players SING their national anthem ahead of Wales game – as crying fans boo: Footballers back down following Tehran pressure after taking brave stand before England match
By Christian Oliver for MailOnline
Iran's football team sang their country's national anthem ahead of their World Cup clash against Wales in Qatar today, after refusing to do so in their first match.
Iran's players appeared to back down from their protest following pressure from the Islamic regime.
The national team sang quietly, and without exuberance, as boos and jeers from Iranian fans echoed throughout the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, as others in the stands wept.
Prior to their kick-off against England in their first group game on Monday, players remained silent as booing filled the ground.
Their previous refusal to sing was a show of solidarity with protesters in their home country, hundreds of whom have been killed in clashes with government security services over the death of Mahsa Amini – a woman who died in custody after being arrested by the Tehran's morality police.
But many Iranian fans in the stands still displayed slogans supporting the protests, drawing particular attention to human rights issues and the plight of women.
Qatari authorities took particular issue with one female fan, who had painted her face white – with bloody tears pouring out from her eyes. She held up an Iranian football shirt displaying the name of Mahsa Amini and the number 22 - her age when she died.
Outside the stadium, Iranian fans chanted: 'Freedom for Iran, No to Islamic Republic' – a direct rebuke of Iran's theocratic government and society, where woman do not enjoy the same rights as their fellow male citizens.
Qatari police officials also took issue with fans who waved Iranian flags with black crosses, confiscating them as they entered the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.
Images appeared to show police asking fans to remove the flags as they clamped down on protests in the ground.
Others wore shirts with the slogan of the country's protest movement, 'Woman, Life, Freedom.'
But small mobs of Iranian men, appearing to be supportive of their country's current regime, angrily chanted 'The Islamic Republic of Iran' at women giving interviews about the protests to foreign media outside the stadium.
The shouting match erupted outside the security checkpoint, before the football match had kicked off. One side shouted 'Women, Life, Freedom' and others shouted in response 'The Islamic Republic.'
Many female fans were visibly shaken as Iranian government supporters surrounded them with national flags and filmed them on their mobile phones.
One 35-year-old woman named Maryam, who like other Iran fans declined to give her last name for fear of government reprisals, started to cry as shouting men blowing horns surrounded her and filmed her face up close. She had the words 'Woman Life Freedom' painted on her face.
Another woman named Vanya, 21, who lives in Qatar, said she was terrified to ever go back to Iran after what she experienced outside the stadium on Friday.
'I'm genuinely afraid for my safety here,' she said.
A group of fans wearing hats emblazoned with the name of the Iranian former football player Voria Ghafori, who was arrested in Iran on Thursday, said they had their hats stolen by government supporters.
'It's obvious that the match had become very politicized this week. You can see people from the same country who hate each other,' said Mustafa, a 40-year-old Iran fan. 'I think the arrest of Voria has also affected society in Iran a lot.'
Some anti-government fans waved signs in support of the protest movement at Iran's first match against England earlier this week, when the players refused to sing.
The unrest in Iran was sparked by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini back in September. Mahsa Amini was killed in the custody of the country's morality police. It first focused on the state-mandated hijab, or headscarf, for women, but has since morphed into one of the most serious threats to the Islamic Republic since the chaotic years following its founding.
Ahead of the World Cup, protesters had taken heart from apparent shows of support from a number of Iran's national teams which refrained from singing the national anthem, such as the basketball team.
Team Melli, as the national football team is known, have traditionally been a huge source of national pride in Iran, but they have found themselves caught up in politics in the World Cup run-up, with anticipation over whether they would use football's showpiece event as a platform to get behind the protesters.
Asked on Thursday about the unrest at home, Iran national team striker Mehdi Taremi said they were in Qatar to play football. "We are not under pressure," he added after players refused to sing the national anthem in their first match at the World Cup against England.
Before travelling to Doha, the team met with hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Photos of the players with Raisi, one of them bowing in front of him, went viral and prompted an outcry on social media.
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