Rainbow Flag Waving Pitch Invader Disrupts World Cup Match
November 29, 2022A pitch invader waving a rainbow flag briefly interrupted the World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Monday
Although the he Fifa television feed avoided showing the pitch invader, the individual could be seen running on the pitch pursued by security officials.
Getty photos showed the flag carrier wearing a shirt with the words “RESPECT FOR IRANIAN WOMAN” written on the back and “SAVE UKRAINE” on the front.
The pitch invader has since been identified as Italian Mario Ferri, who describes himself on his Instagram profile as a “football player” and a “modern pirate.”
In a series of posts of his Instagram story, Ferri called himself the “new Robin Hood,” outlining a meeting he had with Fifa President Gianni Infantino after being detained.
“I will call it ‘the last dance.’ My last run in a playground, I wanted to send important messages for me that I have experienced on my skin in the past months,” he wrote.
“1) A message for Iran where I have friends who are suffering, where women are not respected … THE WORLD MUST CHANGE, we can do it together with STRONG gestures that come from the heart, WITH COURAGE.
“2) FIFA banned rainbow captain’s armbands and human rights flags in the stands, they blocked everyone, BUT NOT ME, like a Robinhood 2.0 I brought the message of the PEOPLE. We want a free world that respects all races and all ideas.
“3) SAVE UKRAINE. I spent a month in the war in Kiev as a volunteer and saw how much those people are suffering.”
Ferri added: “Breaking the rules if you do it for a good cause is NEVER A CRIME.”
In a statement sent to CNN from the Supreme Committee for Delivery And Legacy – which, since its formation in 2011, has been responsible for overseeing the infrastructure projects and planning for the World Cup – said the pitch invader has been banned from attending any more matches.
“As a consequence of his actions, and as is standard practice, his Hayya Card has been canceled and he has been banned from attending future matches at this tournament.” [A Hayya card acts as a Qatari visa and all World Cup ticket-holders must apply for one as it is used to identify fans.]
Meanwhile the issue of LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar has also been a constant theme at the World Cup. On Saturday, two German fans said that they were asked by security officials to remove the rainbow-colored items they were wearing as they made their way to watch the World Cup match between France and Denmark.
Last week, American journalist Grant Wahl and former Wales captain Laura McAllister both said they were told by security staff to remove clothing with rainbow-coloured patterns. Wahl said he was released 25 minutes after being detained and received apologies from a Fifa representative and a senior member of the security team at the stadium.
When asked to clarify the dress code for fans, Fifa referred CNN to the tournament handbook, which states “expats and tourists are free to wear the clothing of their choice, as long as it is modest and respectful to the culture.”
After some Wales fans were also denied entry into stadiums for wearing rainbow-colored bucket hats, the Welsh Football Association said Fifa told the federation on Thursday that rainbow-colored flags and hats would be permitted at World Cup stadiums in Qatar.
Qatar’s LGBTQ+ laws – where sex between men is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison in the country – has come under criticism. A report from Human Rights Watch, published last month, documented cases as recently as September of Qatari security forces arbitrarily arresting LGBT people and subjecting them to “ill-treatment in detention.”
However, the country has insisted that “everyone is welcome” at the tournament, adding that “our track record has shown that we have warmly welcomed all people regardless of background.”
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