World Cup fan gets dragged out of stadium for wearing rainbow armband

It was always expected that there will be clashes between spectators and local law enforcement at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. There have only been minor reports so far, but the latest incident went viral after an American fan was thrown out of a stadium because he was wearing a rainbow armband.

The incident in question took place during the game between USA and Iran on Tuesday, which was already politically charged in the first place due to the strained relationship between the two countries.

Brian Davis, an avid supporter of the US Men's National Team, was seen in several photos and videos shared online wearing the blue team jersey. Around one arm, he had an armband in the rainbow colours that are being used as a form of support for the LGBTQIA+ community. While the symbolism is known to have been banned in Qatar throughout the tournament, he was able to get through security and into the stadium. However, he was spotted before the match even started and was forcibly removed.

"They twisted my arm a little bit when they came up there, but other than that I'm fine. It was very aggressive. I went through security with this on, security said it was fine," he said, as quoted by Bleacher Report.

He admitted that he was drunk, but claimed that the entire issue was about the armband. "I was sitting in a chair, they came to me and said I had to take off. These gentlemen came up and fairly aggressively grabbed me, they twisted my arm," he repeated.

Stadium security confirmed that Davis had been removed from the premises due to the rainbow armband. However, he was later allowed back inside and he was able to witness the team's 1-0 win against Iran. This sends the USA through to the Round of 16 alongside group leaders England.

The World Cup in Qatar has been under constant criticism over the country's human rights record. Many football fans are also protesting how same-sex relations are criminalised in the country, with questions being raised about the safety of attendees.

Meanwhile, a pitch invader decided to take his protest to a more extreme level by waving a rainbow flag while running to the pitch during the match between Portugal and Uruguay.