Wales fans attending the World Cup in Qatar have had items of rainbow-themed clothing confiscated ahead of their side's opening game against the USA on Monday evening.
Rainbow versions of the iconic Welsh bucket hat had been produced as a show of support for the LGBTQ+ community, with the tournament taking place in a country where homosexuality is illegal.
The Rainbow Wall, Wales' official LGBTQ+ supporters' group, said they were "so proud" of the hats they had sold ahead of the tournament but were devastated to hear that female fans who had worn them to the game had been told to remove them.
Posting a photo of the hat on Twitter, the group wrote: "Our rainbow bucket hat. We are so proud of them, BUT news on the ground tonight is our welsh female supporters wearing them in Qatar are having them taken off them. Not the men, just women. @FIFAcom ARE YOU SERIOUS !! #LGBTQRights #WeBelong #NoPrideWithoutAll".
They later added: "We have an update that in the end the rainbow hats had been taken from the men also but it didn’t start out that way. A reminder to our Red Wall out in Qatar please stay safe. We can not trust FIFA at all and nothing they have said has been true.
"This World Cup is a shambles. BUT, we love our Cymru we want our team to win and do well. FIFA your disgusting behaviour will not shake our Welsh pride".
Former Wales Women football captain Professor Laura McAllister said: "So, despite fine words from FIFA before event, Wales rainbow bucket hats confiscated at stadium, mine included. I had a conversation about this with stewards - we have video evidence. This #WorldCup2022 just gets better but we will continue stand up for our values". ITV later added during their coverage that Laura had eventually snuck her hat in after being told it bore a banned symbol.
Video footage shared online by S4C's Newyddion showed the former Wales Women international going through security at the stadium, with a number of staff referring to her hat.
Sports reporter Beth Fisher also said she had been told that rainbow stickers had also been ripped from fans' phones ahead of the game. In a tweet, she added: "Understandably, these fans are very upset by the whole experience".
It comes just hours after the football associations of Wales and England made a U-turn on their decision to wear the OneLove armband in Qatar. Both sides had previously been determined to show their support for the campaign, which aims to "promote inclusion and send a message against discrimination of any kind".
However, FIFA warned competing nations they would be punished with sanctions for making political messages, with Wales captain Gareth Bale expected to be yellow carded instantly at kick-off in Wales' contest with the USA on Monday. Before both sides' opening games, the FAW and the FA confirmed that they, along with five other nations, would no longer wear the armband, saying they could not put their players "in a position where they could face sporting sanctions".
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