World Cup protester Mario Ferri released without charge

The protestor who interrupted Portugal’s 2-0 Word Cup win over Uruguay was released without charge, according to BBC.

Mario Ferri, an Italian activist, ran onto the field at Lusail Stadium on Saturday wearing a T-shirt with “Save Ukraine” printed on the front and “Respect for Iranian women” etched on the back. Ferri, who was also carrying a rainbow flag, was chased briefly by security before being escorted off the field. He dropped the rainbow flag in the process, and it was retrieved by a referee.

Authorities briefly detained Ferri before his release, per the report. Qatar’s Supreme Committee stated that Ferri’s Hayya Card — which permitted him entry into the country for the World Cup — was canceled and that he was barred from any other matches this tournament.

“A message for Iran where I have friends who suffer, where women are not respected … THE WORLD MUST CHANGE, we can do it together with STRONG gestures, which come from the heart, WITH COURAGE,” Ferri wrote in a since-deleted post on Instagram. “FIFA banned the captain’s armbands with the rainbow and human rights flags in the stands, they blocked everyone, BUT NOT ME, like a Robinhood 2.0 I brought the message of the PEOPLE. We want a free world that respects all races and ideas.”

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Ferri has a history of using protests for social activism, including a demonstration at the 2014 World Cup to raise awareness for children living in poverty.

FIFA has come under wide-scale criticism for staging the World Cup in Qatar, a country with a poor record on LGBTQ+ rights. Prior to the tournament, FIFA announced that any captain who attempted to wear an armband promoting “OneLove,” an anti-discrimination initiative, would receive a yellow card.