Tuesday 22 November 2022 09:32 AM Iranians celebrate LOSING to England in the World Cup amid protests against ... trends now
Iranian football fans are openly cheering the defeat of their national team against England at the World Cup yesterday in yet another sign of protest at the authoritarian Islamic Republic.
Footage emerged overnight of a man sitting on the back of a moped, brandishing a huge Union Jack which streamed behind him as he rode through the streets of Tehran in the wake of his team's 6-2 dismantling in Qatar.
'People are happy because of England's victory,' the man who filmed the spectacle from his car said solemnly.
Elsewhere in the Iranian capital, thousands of people packed into residential high rises could be heard whistling and cheering as their team were routed, while another clip - blurred to protect the identity of those involved - showed protesters dancing in celebration following the defeat.
Such open disdain for Iran's footballing campaign comes as widespread protests continue to rock the nation following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody last month.
'The protest movement has overshadowed the football,' said Kamran, a linguistics professor who lives in the northern Iranian province of Mazandaran. 'I want Iran to lose these games.'
Anusha, a 17-year-old whose Tehran high school has been rocked by protests, said the past few weeks of unrest had changed everything for her.
'A few months ago I would have said of course I want Iran to win against England and America,' she said. 'Now, it's strange. I really don't care.'
Even as Iran's national team perform on the world stage in Qatar, Iranian security forces continue to brutalise protesters.
More than 400 civilians are thought to have been killed since protests began in late September, with many more injured and arrested.
Iranian football fans are celebrating their national team's heavy defeat to England at the World Cup
The man brandished a huge Union Jack from the back of his moped. The man filming the spectacle can be heard saying: 'People are happy because of England's victory'
Elsewhere in the Iranian capital, thousands of people packed into residential high rises could be heard whistling and cheering as their team were routed
One clip, blurred seemingly to protect the identity of those involved, showed protesters dancing in celebration following the defeat
(L-R) Morteza Pouraliganji, Milad Mohammadi and Roozbeh Cheshmi of Iran are pictured ahead of yesterday's match vs. England. Iran's players refused to sing the national anthem
Iran's national team had signalled support for demonstrations taking place back home ahead of yesterday's game, but made a bold statement by refusing to sing the anthem before the match
England dismantled Iran, routing them 6-2 in the opening game of their World Cup campaign yesterday (Marcus Rashford is pictured scoring England's fifth goal)
Marcus Rashford (C) of England celebrates with teammates after scoring during the FIFA World Cup 2022 group B match between England and Iran at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, 21 November 2022
Ahead of the game yesterday, Iran's players refused to sing their national anthem and the music was met with a torrent of boos from fans in the stands, many of them Iranians holding banners and wearing shirts with anti-regime messages.
The squad stood stony-faced as the anthem played at the Khalifa International Stadium, in an apparent sign of solidarity with protests currently engulfing the country back home.
Meanwhile at yesterday's press conference ahead of the game, Iranian team captain Ehsan Hajsafi delivered an exceptional speech in which he spoke out against the conditions to which the people living under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and hardline President Ebrahim Raisi are subjected.
'We have to accept that conditions in our country are not right & our people are not happy. They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathise with them regarding the conditions,' Hajsafi declared.
England went on to demolish the Iranian team, scoring three goals in the first half before adding another three in the second.
Iran managed to bag two, one from the penalty spot in the 13th minute of extra time, but players refused to celebrate either goal.
Catherine Perez-Shakdam, a specialist in Iran at the Henry Jackson Society, told MailOnline that the team and fans will likely be 'punished severely' for such an open display of defiance against the regime.
'The refusal by Iran's football team not to
