FIFA 2022: A Danish journalist was asked by Qatar police to remove the 'OneLove' armband while filming the World Cup segment in Doha. The journalist named Jon Pagh, who was filming outside the Denmark squad’s hotel on behalf of the TV 2 Sport was stopped by the local police.
The video of the incident is also surfacing on various social media platforms where the officer is demanding the journalist to remove the armband. The armband promotes homosexuality, which is banned in Qatar.
Jon Pagh refused to take it off, saying, "With due respect, I want to ask why is it not allowed to wear an armband?"
The policeman said “yeah” before reacting by pushing away the camera. "It is just one love”, Jon Pagh protested saying "It is just respecting everybody."
The Danish journalist later said, "we must not make it an issue and be careful of any kind of activism, and we must be especially careful about provoking situations."
He said that the band is just a part of clothing, which provoked the police, but it was not at all in his mind that it would provoke anything.
Before this incident, different team captains of the FIFA World Cup 2022 were showing solidarity with the LGBTQ community with a rainbow-coloured band on their arms. The team players were playing the match while wearing these hand bands.
Later on, FIFA committee prohibited the wearing of the "OneLove" bands by the team captains and even said that if any player is again seen wearing the hand band in the playground will be given a yellow card.
Two yellow cards will result in the ejection of the team player from the tournament.
Jon Pagh, who denied removing the OneLove armband, stated on the subject by saying-
“I am also very careful not to do activism, but it is the same political message that is in FIFA's rules and human rights," he added.
"For me, it's not politics. It's Human rights. Even if FIFA has been against their laws. I still have clothing rights. The rights allow an individual to dress as per their choice. I hope that no one takes this as an attempt to provoke anything." Pagh said