Extensive clashes during the soccer matches in Tehran; people chanted “Death to the Dictator”
On Friday, August 10, during the soccer match between Tehran and Tabriz clubs at Azadi stadium, thousands of spectators expressed their anger and hatred of the oppressive regime by shouting “Death to the Dictator.” It happened despite the fact that the regime’s authorities had stationed a large number of their Basiji forces who are affiliated with the IRGC intelligence section and also the IRGC guards, intelligence and anti-riot guard agents as well as plainclothes mercenaries among the crowd in order to prevent the youths’ protest. Bringing anti-riot guard into the stadium was an unprecedented measure.
Nevertheless and in spite of all these measures, the brave youth broke the obstacles that had already been set up in the stadium stand, and chanted “Death to the Dictator” and “Security Force, shame on you, savage, savage” all over the stadium. They resisted against the brutal attack of repressive forces and punished a number of them.
The regime’s tricks for making the two clubs’ fans fight each other and for deviating their chanting did not work and Azerbaijani Iranians and supporters of Tabriz Tractor-Sazi Club also chanted: “Everywhere in Iran is my homeland; Long live Azerbaijan”. Outside of the stadium, young people who were not allowed to enter the stadium clashed with the repressive forces.
The protests continued even after the match and spread to Azadi Square. Anti-riot guards and plainclothes mercenaries rushed into the crowd with their motorcycles and injured and battered them. Brave youths confronted them courageously.
There was also another incident during a soccer match in the Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium of Isfahan where brave youth started chanting “Death to the Dictator” and other slogans against the regime’s policies of meddling in the region.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
August 10, 2018
Some video footage of the soccer matches in Tehran
Some video footage of the soccer matches in Ahvaz
