Pitch invader runs on with Palestine flag during Tunisia vs France at World Cup

It is the second time a fan has breached security at the tournament after a protest was made during Portugal vs Uruguay

Jack Rathborn
Wednesday 30 November 2022 11:46 EST
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Pitch invader waving pride flag tackled after storming World Cup match

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A pitch invader took a Palestine flag onto the field during Tunisia vs France at the Qatar World Cup.

The move comes after a fan evaded security while carrying a rainbow flag onto the field during Portugal vs Uruguay.

The supporter, wearing a Tunisia home jersey, sprinted onto the Education City Stadium pitch in the 67th minute.

He then performed two somersaults before security eventually caught up, tackling him to the turf and dragging him off the pitch.

The supporter who entered the field of play on Monday at the Lusail Stadium also displayed a “Save Ukraine” message on the front of his t-shirt.

APTOPIX WCup Tunisia France Soccer
APTOPIX WCup Tunisia France Soccer (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The back of his t-shirt had the message: “Respect for Iranian Women”, with three security guards manhandling the fan and removing him from the pitch within seconds of entering the field of play.

It is the latest example of a highly politicised World Cup in Qatar, with Fifa performing a u-turn over its stance to allow fans to wear rainbow items at stadia, as detailed by the Independent.

The colours have become one of the tense moments of the tournament, as so many players, officials and fans want to make a gesture of solidarity towards the LGBTQ+ community over Qatar’s laws and culture around homosexuality.

WCup Tunisia France Soccer
WCup Tunisia France Soccer (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Tunisia were leading 1-0 at the time of the incident, thanks to Wahbi Khazri’s goal.

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