Iranian World Cup fans staged a furious protest outside Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday, condemning FIFA's ban on the traditional Iranian flag and criticizing the Islamic Republic's human rights record. The demonstration took place ahead of Iran's opening group stage match against New Zealand.
Protesters Demand Regime Change and Human Rights
Hessam Rahimian, founder of the Iran Liberty Foundation (ILF), told The Mirror that the protest aimed to use Iran's World Cup presence as a platform to highlight the situation inside the country. “Imagine FIFA, which is an organization for sports, has banned a country with centuries of history of having a traditional flag, which is the sun and lion, and we can't take that into the stadium,” he said. “And FIFA says it's not political, yet they have chosen and allowed the Islamic terrorist regime to bring their flags inside, which just murdered over 50,000 innocent, unarmed protesters in Iran.”
The banned flag, known as the Shir o Khorshid, was Iran's national flag before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. FIFA deemed it too politically charged and prohibited it from stadiums. The Iranian national team also threatened to stop play if players saw the flag or heard related chants.
Supporters Smuggle Banned Flag Into Stadium
Despite the ban, supporters smuggled the Shir o Khorshid into Los Angeles Stadium, brandishing it during the national anthem and after both goals were scored. Rahimian wore a black “MIGA” cap—standing for “Make Iran Great Again”—and a black shirt reading “American Grown with Persian Roots.”
Another protester, Niusha, who works in cybersecurity, carried the Shir o Khorshid and wore a teal shirt with the image of Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's former king. She explained that the protest aimed to draw attention to the tens of thousands of Iranians killed by the regime. “They were slaughtered on the street and they're still getting executed right now for so many people that they arrested,” she said. “They're still getting executed right now every single day. That's why we're here to say that we don't want this regime.”
Protesters Reject Iranian National Team
Niusha emphasized that the current Iranian squad does not represent the protesters. “This is very political,” she said. “If you interview with the team, they would say that this is not political. It is political because they support the regime. So it is very much political, both for them and for us. And we're here to actually send our message to the world. First, we want the fall of the Islamic Republic. And second, that team is not our team and they don't represent us and we don't support that team.”
Iran is set to face Belgium in their second group match at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday, with an opportunity to take control of Group G.
