A Danish TV crew's live broadcast in Qatar was interrupted by security staff, who threatened to break their camera as they reported live on air for the?World Cup.??
Rasmus Tantholdt was reporting live on TV2 when a group of men approached him in a golf cart. One man waved at the camera, but another tried to cover it up, which quickly escalated into a heated exchange.
“Mister, you invited the whole world to come here. Why can’t we film? It’s a public place,” Tantholdt said in English.
As the exchange got more heated, Tantholdt was filmed showing the men his permits. However, they appeared to imply that he didn’t have the correct ones. It was at that point that one of the officials threatened to damage the camera they were using to film.
“You can break the camera. You want to break it? Okay, you break the camera. So, you’re threatening us by smashing the camera,” the reporter said.
The reporter later shared the clip to Twitter, revealing he received an apology: "We now got an apology from Qatar International Media Office and from Qatar Supreme Committee."
"This is what happened when we were broadcasting live for @tv2nyhederne from a roundabout today in Doha. But will it happen to other media as well? #FIFAWorldCupQatar2022?[sic]," he wrote.?
Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has since apologised.
They said the journalists were "mistakenly interrupted."
"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," a statement said.
Tournament bosses also said they spoke to Tantholdt and "issued an advisory to all entities to respect the filming permits in place for the tournament".??
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has been?surrounded by controversy?involving the host country, with Qatar’s human rights record under scrutiny as they prepare to host the tournament. There were also questions about how the Middle Eastern country secured the bid, with frequent allegations of corruption.??
The World Cup kicks off on Sunday, November 20, with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador in the first game of the tournament.??
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will see the best players take centre stage, in what will be the first winter edition in the history of the competition.?
In an extravagant event, 32 teams will compete to win the ultimate international football trophy. The final will be played on December 18, at Lusail Stadium.?
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