Bayern fans show support for 'feminist revolution' in Iran

Munich, Germany, Sept 30, 2022 (AFP) - Bayern Munich fans on Friday waited for Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun to take the field for opponents Bayer Leverkusen to unveil banners supporting the protests taking place in Iran.

The fans revealed the banners in the 60th minute, when Azmoun - who has spoken out in favour of the protests online - came off the bench.

One banner read "women, life, freedom" in Farsi - a common chant heard in the Iranian protests - while another, in English, read "solidarity with the feminist revolution in Iran."

Earlier this week, Iranian football bloggers took screenshots of an Instagram post from Azmoun saying that because of "restrictive rules on the Team Melli (Iran), I could not say anything".

But he added that he could not stay silent due to the crackdown against the protests.

"This will never be erased from our consciousness. Shame on you!" he wrote. The post was deleted and the entire content of the Instagram account, followed by some five million people, disappeared for days.

The protests, which have swept across the country and resulted in several deaths, are in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, in police custody.

Amini was arrested for allegedly breaching Iran's strict rules on religious clothing.