On March 18, 2018, during the football match between Sardar Bukan and Bandar Abbas municipality at Khatam al-Anbiya Stadium in Bukan, one of the football fans entered the football pitch and the audience also shouted slogans against Turkish Attack on Kurds in Afrin. Consequently, the security forces attacked protesters with tear gas and batons. This incident led to the injury of a number of spectators.

” Yesterday, during the football match, a number of spectators in support of the Afrin condemned the attack by the Turkish Army began and chanted slogans in this regard. The police forces stationed in the stadium reacted to this incident.”, an eyewitness at Bukan told Kurdistan Human Rights Network( KHRN).

Law Enforcement Forces Beat Sardar Bukan Team’s Football Fans

According to this eyewitness, one of the spectators went to the pitch at the end of the game and he was beaten by police forces. A number of spectators came to help this spectator.

Police fired tear gas at the spectators’ platform and beat them. As a result, at least 12 spectators were injured, ten of whom only needed outpatient treatment. A photographer from Bukan, called Kamran Soltani and a citizen called Sina Pourvardin were admitted to Bukan Hospital due to the severity of their injuries.

A few hours after the clash, Bukan Governor’s Office of Political and Social Affairs announced that “in the confrontation between spectators and law enforcement forces, 12 people were injured, 10 of whom were treated by the outpatient department, one person was admitted to the hospital while another injured spectator was sent to a well-equipped health centre. “

In this regard, Mohammad Qasim Osmani, Bukan’ MP, published a statement: “This incident was initiated by an emotional spectator who entered into the pitch and he was beaten up severely by a number of police forces. A large number of spectators witnessing such offensive and inappropriate action went into the pitch and a clash started. The police forces resorted to tear gas and one of the spectators was wounded.”