The city of Paris has decided not to broadcast the World Cup soccer matches on giant screens in public areas amid fears of violations of the rights of migrant workers and the environmental impact of the tournament in Qatar.
Paris’ move comes amid similar moves by other French cities.
“There is a problem with the environmental impact,” the deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sports, Pierre Rabadin, told France Bleu Paris radio on Tuesday, referring to “the air-conditioned stadiums.”
“The conditions in which these facilities were built should also be questioned,” he added.
This step comes despite Qatar Sports Investments owning the Paris Saint-Germain football club. In this regard, Rabadan explains: “We have very constructive relations with the club and its owners, but that does not prevent us from criticizing when we disagree.”
Several French cities refused to set up screens to broadcast World Cup matches in protest of Qatar’s human rights record.
The gas-rich emirate has also come under fire in the past decade for its treatment of migrant workers, mostly from South Asia, who are educated in construction.