LUSAIL, Qatar - A protester with a rainbow flag disrupted Monday night's game between Portugal and Uruguay in what appeared to be the first in-game demonstration in support of LGBTQ rights at the 2022 World Cup.
The protester also wore a shirt with the words "Respect for Iranian women" and "Save Ukraine". He ran over most of the field from near shore before being tackled by security.
He ran waving the flag, a universal symbol of LGBTQ pride that is banned in Qatar, where homosexuality is criminalized and all LGBTQ people are marginalized. During the first week of the World Cup, fans and journalists were denied entry to venues because they were wearing rainbow-coloured T-shirts, masks and caps.
World Cup organizers apologized for the incident and assured fans that pride clothing was allowed at venues. However, this did not appear on the broadcast. FIFA also threatened European teams with "playing sanctions" if their captains wore anti-discrimination armbands similar, but not identical, to the Pride color scheme.
Monday's stunt was the first time color appeared on most American television screens during the Qatar World Cup. Some broadcasts briefly caught the fan, who was detained after he dropped the flag on the field.
The referee then raised the flag and carried it to the edge of the field, where it rested for a while next to the pitch-side advertising boards. A stadium employee then dashed in to pick him up and remove him from the field of play.
Many international broadcasts, as well as most pitch infielders at all soccer games, are played away from the fan. However, photographers on the ground captured the entire protest.
The front of the shirt was a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The bench was a reference to the Iranian women's rights movement, which has faced brutal crackdowns from the country's repressive government and has been the subject of significant protests in and around World Cup stadiums.
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