An American fan was arrested for wearing the rainbow armband at the World Cup

Security guards removed a man from the stands.

An American fan was arrested at Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar for wearing a rainbow armband during the match between the United States and Iran on Tuesday (29). The symbol represents the LGBTQIA+ movement, and homosexuality is a crime in the country hosting the 2022 World Cup.

The pictures, recorded by Reuters, showed the fan leaving the stands of the stadium by security. The man’s arrest comes a day after another fan protest during the Portugal-Uruguay match. Upon storming Lusail Stadium with a rainbow flag🇧🇷

Hassan al-Thawadi, head of the World Cup Organizing Committee, accused Qatar this week Western countries do not respect Middle Eastern culture due to demonstrations in support of the LGBTQIA+ community🇧🇷

Hassan told the British newspaper Sports talk that the use of the “OneLove” badge left a “divisive message”. On the same day, Stuart Andrew, Britain’s sports minister, who is openly gay, said he would wear an armband on Tuesday.

“It’s not a Qatari culture or religion, these values are regional. It’s for the Islamic world, the Arab world, and the Middle East,” Hassan said.

The committee chair also said that even if he agreed with the decision, he was not involved in the discussions that led to FIFA’s ban on armbands, and that it was important to look for a common place to live together. “Mutual respect is essential,” he said.