Chaotic scenes in Australia as protesters try to stop Iran’s women’s team from being forced home by cruel regime
Dramatic pictures show protesters including a man and a dog, lying in front of the team bus trying to leave a hotel in Australia
There were scenes of chaos in Australia overnight after dozens of protesters tried to block the Iranian women's football team bus from leaving their hotel in Australia.
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Dramatic pictures show a man lying on the road in front of the coach while clutching his dog, alongside other protesters who are trying to prevent the team from returning home to the Middle East conflict.
Another person next to him is seen with Iran flag draped over his body while others can be seen kneeling on the ground with their arms in the air just yards from the bus.
On Monday, the Australian Government confirmed it would grant asylum to five players after fears they could face persecution when they landed in Iran.
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Reports suggested Australian Federal Police (AFP) had assisted the squad members in leaving the team base and entering a safe house.
Speaking to LBC on Tuesday, Diane Kovany Garland, news director at 2SM Radio in Sydney, said it was a "secret operation in the middle of the night" to escort the five players to safety.
Ms Garland told Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: "There's five of them who are actually going to stay, and another three today were considering their options as to whether they stay.
"The Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, and of course the Prime Minister have made it quite clear that the rest of the team is welcome to stay in Australia if they would so like to."
Fears were first raised about the squad's return to Iran after they chose not to sing the national anthem before their first match at the Asian Cup in Gold Coast.
Following their final match against the Philippines, hundreds of protesters tried to stop their team bus after a player appeared to sign an SOS distress signal from her seat.
A group of players is believed to have escaped their hotel on Monday evening in an attempt to avoid returning home.
One member of the squad appeared to be dragged onto the bus by a teammate before demonstrators, chanting "save our girls," blocked the vehicle.
A video of the team leaving the stadium following their defeat to the Philippines on Sunday evening went viral after a layer could be seen appearing to plead for help by signalling the international SOS distress signal from inside the bus.
The woman tucked her thumb into the palm of her hand and folded her fingers down over it, which is the globally-recognised sign that someone is pleading for help.
Following the scenes, President Trump had urged Australia to act, with fears the team could face persecution if they returned to Iran.
The country's Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, confirmed on Monday that the five players had been "moved to a safe location by the Australian Federal Police," where their meeting took place.
"I signed off last night for their applications to go onto humanitarian visas, and a little bit after 1.30am this morning, the processing was completed by the department of home affairs," he told reporters.
"I say to the other members of the team, the same opportunity is there."
The team has been competing in the Asia Cup but were eliminated after suffering three defeats in their three group matches.