Iranians Protest at Soccer Games



Iranian protesters are now making noise at sports events because they get arrested if they protest in the streets. Here's an excerpt of an interview by Der Spiegel of a sports journalist using the alias Bahonar.

SPIEGEL: In May, former soccer player and dissident Nasser Hejazi died. The memorial ceremony became a mass protest against the government's politics. How does the sport fit into the opposition movement?

Bahonar: In terms of freedom of expression, soccer stadiums are nearly as important as the Internet in Iran now. The protest is more secure there because the police can't arrest thousands of people at once.

State television broadcasts many matches live, and the people use it as a stage for resistance. They're showing banners to the cameras and chanting protest songs, which is why some games are broadcast without sound now.

Obviously, there's still considerable unrest in Iran.