WATCH: Iran Soccer Team Refuses to Sing National Anthem Prior to World Cup Match in Protest of Regime

The Iran soccer team opted not to sing the country’s national anthem at the World Cup, Monday — in solidarity with the ongoing nationwide protests. And Iranian fans in attendance in Qatar booed as well.

Prior to Iran’s match against England, the team stood stoically for the anthem and did not sing out of protest. In the video below, you can see fans booing as well.

At a news conference before the match, Iran player Ehsan Hajsafi spoke out in support of the protesters.

“They should know that we are with them. And we support them. And we sympathize with them regarding the conditions,” Hajsafi said. “We have to accept the conditions in our country are not right and our people are not happy. We are here but it does not mean we should not be their voice or we should not respect them.”

The protests in Iran, which have been ongoing since September, were sparked by the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman in the custody of the morality police for wearing clothes deemed “inappropriate.”

Watch above, via the BBC.

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