It took place while Iran played their final World Cup qualifier
Video footage has emerged of thousands of women being pepper sprayed by authorities as they tried to enter the stadium to watch Iran’s World Cup qualifier with Lebanon.
The ISNA news agency reported that roughly 2,000 women had bought tickets to see the game which Iran won 2-0 to secure their place at the finals in Qatar.
Security used pepper spray to disperse the crowds
Today the security forces attacked women with pepper spray. Because of being banned from entering to stadium in Mashhad-iran, they were peacefully protesting. FIFA must condemn this gender apartheid and take action rather than accepting the lies from our government.#letUsTalk pic.twitter.com/mXaR1o3Zox
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) March 29, 2022
Upon arrival, however, women were immediately refused entry to the stadium before security began to use pepper spray to disperse the crowds.
In the footage, women can be heard chanting “no to objection” and seen attempting to kick the gates of the stadium down so that they could enter.
More footage shows one man blowing cigarette smoke into the eyes of a child so that it can relieve the pain of the pepper spray.
A young man who took this video asked me to pass his message to @FIFAcom : My friend & I, bought the ticket to go to stadium but see how she got attacked with pepper spray for the crime of being a girl. I refused to go to stadium but shame on you if you ignore this barbaric act. pic.twitter.com/3yZ2MxDOD3
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) March 29, 2022
Women have been largely prohibited from attending sports events.
The horrific scenes come just three years after the former Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, promised FIFA back in 2018 that changes would be made.