FIFA World Cup 2022 Preparations on Ice as Fresh Protests Break Out
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A video showing workers on Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium project striking on Sunday has been circulated widely on social media. The video shows a large crowd of people in high-visibility jackets gathering on a road.
Qatar government violates workers working in football stadiums for world cups their rights and all workers strike against them @hrw @FIFAWorldCup @AlJazeera @sabqorg pic.twitter.com/C46UaCFVwz
— farhan (@farhan30330748) August 4, 2019
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Dubai’s Deputy Chairman of Police and Public Security, Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, tweeted for “God to deliver Qatar from these scandals”.
https://twitter.com/Bin_Royan/status/1158110972587982848?s=20
In April, migrant workers took to the streets to denounce overdue wages, oppressive government policies and inhuman working conditions.
It’s so shameful, Qatar spends a lot of money for corruption and terrorism, but their workers have to suffer. #FIFA should be held responsible for this slavery and high death toll in #Qatar @amnesty @hrw pic.twitter.com/PE2AyeFujx
— Ulli Meyer (@RealthingUlli) August 4, 2019
As many as 28,000 people building seven new stadiums for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar earn the equivalent of only $1.04 (Dh3.82) an hour, an investigation revealed in May.
اضراب عمال ملاعب كاس العالم 2022 في قطر اليوم 3/8/2019
الله يسلم قطر..من ها الورطات pic.twitter.com/auYBNFKPHm
— ضاحي خلفان تميم (@Dhahi_Khalfan) August 4, 2019
In February, Amnesty International said Qatar was running out of time to stamp out widespread abuse of tens of thousands of migrant workers before hosting the World Cup.
“Time is running out if the Qatari authorities want to deliver a legacy we can all cheer, namely a labour system that ends the abuse and misery inflicted on so many migrant workers every day,” Amnesty’s Stephen Cockburn said.
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Hope they destroy the stadiums. Qatar doesn't deserve the world cup after what they did to these workers
— Abdulla AlKhoori عبدالله الخوري🇦🇪 (@EmiratiPatriot) August 4, 2019
Migrant workers, angry over rights abuses, staged violent protests in Qatar, online reports have said.
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The protesters took to the streets, decrying oppressive government policies, overdue wages and inhuman working conditions, they said.
The question now is how long will Qatar dirty money keep them Silent and Blind form seeing the suffering of These poor workers
When will the world stand up and say enough of Qatar corruption if @FIFAcom will not act we the people should
#boycottworldcup20Qatar— SSA (@Wolfe_413) August 4, 2019
Online images showed cars reportedly destroyed by angry demonstrators, who work on building stadiums that will host the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
The hashtag “Riot Acts in Qatar” has become a popular Arab trending over the past hours in a show of solidarity with the protesting workers.
“Al Jazeera: Vehicles are taking a nap! News of protests is incorrect!” said a commentator, named Abdul Latif, in a sarcastic post.
Another tweeter, called Ahmad Al Sarem, challenged Al Jazeera to shed light on labour conditions in Qatar.
World Cup stadium workers strike in Qatar for not paying their late salaries
— Saudi Discovery (@DiscoverySaudi) August 4, 2019
“Will Al Jazeera dare to report about the ordeal of these workers, who are deprived of their basic rights?” he said.
Al Jazeera is often critical of governments in other Arab countries and is accused of biased coverage.
Sponsors, and for that matter all businesses and organizations involved in Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 have a moral, and probably a legal responsibility towards protecting the rights of those workers in Qatar. The reputational risk cannot be overestimated.
— Ghanem Nuseibeh (@gnuseibeh) August 4, 2019
Human rights advocates have repeatedly accused Qatar of labour abuses as the energy-rich country is struggling to host the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Earlier this month, several rights watchdogs have cited the death of more than 1,200 migrant workers while building sports facilities in Qatar and charged a government rights commission of covering up the deaths.
Qatar is increasingly becoming a pariah after the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and transportation links with it for its support to extremist group.
https://twitter.com/Hibz92/status/1157970756472639488?s=20
Last year, Qatar amended its residency law to allow most migrant workers to leave the country without an exit visa, a move that was termed a “huge step” by the International Organization for Labour (ILO).
According to the head of the ILO Project Office in Qatar, Houtan Homayounpour, great progress has been made with regards to labour reforms in the country but the work is far from finished.
Although the Amnesty report focuses on conditions of the nearly two million migrant workers in Qatar, not just the 30,000 on direct World Cup projects, Amnesty said FIFA had an “ongoing responsibility” to prevent abuse.
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