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Qatar World Cup Organizers Apologize After Danish TV Crew Threatened

After security staffers in Doha threatened to smash a camera being used in a report for Denmark’s TV2, Qatari World Cup officials have apologized to the television station, calling the altercation a mistake.

During a live news hit for TV2, reporter Rasmus Tantholdt was interrupted by officials who attempted to stop the filming by blocking the camera lens and then threatening to smash the camera, despite Tantholdt showing his credentials as a member of the media.

“You invited the whole world to come here. Why can’t we film? It’s a public place,” Tantholdt told the security personnel. “You can break the camera. You want to break it? You are threatening us by smashing the camera?”

After video of the altercation went viral early Wednesday, Qatari officials confirmed that security had erred.

“Upon inspection of the crew’s valid tournament accreditation and filming permit, an apology was made to the broadcaster by on-site security before the crew resumed their activity,” organizers said, per the Associated Press.

“The team was bluntly told that if they didn’t stop filming, their cameras would be destroyed,” TV2 said on its website. “This is despite the fact that TV2’s team has acquired the correct accreditations and reported from a public place.”

The incident took place just days ahead of the start of World Cup 2022 in Qatar, an event of which Denmark has been specifically critical. 

The Danish team is set to wear kits that protest the human rights abuses involved in building the infrastructure and stadiums for the World Cup, with a black jersey included as “the color of mourning” for the reportedly thousands of construction workers, many of whom were low-paid migrant workers, who died during the years-long build-up to the event

Denmark had also requested to wear “human rights for all” shirts during training for the event, but that request was denied by FIFA.

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