WATCH: Qatari FIFA World Cup officials threaten to smash cameras of Danish reporters on LIVE TV
Follow Us
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 emblem
Qatar officials were quick to issue an apology after a security guard threatened to smash a Danish media crew’s camera during a live cross covering the 2022 FIFA World Cup today. Live on television, reporter Rasmus Tantholdt for TV2 was speaking from a roundabout when security personnel riding in a golf buggy approached him.
The video, which quickly became popular on social media, showed Tantholdt attempting to clarify a situation in which he had reportedly misunderstood the regulations for filming in Qatar by speaking in English.
Before asking the crew to stop filming, the three security personnel—one wearing a hi-vis vest and the others wearing traditional Thawb robes can be seen approaching the reporter. A security officer threatens to destroy the camera if they don’t stop shooting as a man fumbles with the camera’s lens. He swiftly displayed his media credentials on his phone and confirmed their right to film.
Qatar International Media Official’s Apology ahead of the FIFA World Cup:
“You have invited the whole world here. Why can’t we film? It is a public place,” Tantholdt said. After one of its journalists was threatened by security agents during a live broadcast, Qatar’s Supreme Committee has hurried to apologise to Danish network TV2. The next time he gave them his press credentials, it didn’t appear to make much of a difference.
“You can break the camera,” the reporter then exclaimed. “You want to break it? Go ahead. You’re threatening us by breaking the camera.”
Hours later, the Qatar Supreme Committee and Qatar International Media Office jointly apologised to the Danish station. Many people have expressed worry over Qatar’s selection to host the World Cup owing to its human rights record.
Stay Updated!
Ujan Chakraborty
(1240 Articles Published)