Brazil’s national volleyball team beat Iran 3-2 at Tehran’s Azadi stadium June 15 in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World League. However, what made headlines in the Iranian traditional and social media is the gathering of activists and fans against the ban on women entering the stadiums. The unfairness of the rule was thrown into particularly stark relief as Brazilian women with Brazilian passports were allowed to enter to watch the match.
Among the more than 50 protesters were well known activists Jila Baniyaghoob and Atefeh Nabavi, who stood outside the stadium with Iranian flags. Other Iranians wrote on the FIVB International Volleyball Federation's Facebook page that Iranian women were not allowed to attend.