2022 World Cup: French cities to protest Qatar human rights record, environmental impact with big screen bans

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar just under 50 days away, protests surrounding the host nation’s human rights record and environmental impact continues to mount with several French cities recently announcing that they will not broadcast the games on large screens in public or organize fan zones.

Deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sports, Pierre Rabadan, told reporters that the French capital will not participate in the tradition of creating outdoor viewing screens and gathering sites because of "the conditions of the organization of this World Cup, both on the environmental and social level."

People gather around the official countdown clock showing remaining time until the kick-off of the World Cup 2022, in Doha, Qatar, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021. Fans going to the World Cup in Qatar must show a negative COVID-19 test when they arrive as part of the host nation’s rules to combat COVID-19, organizers said Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.  (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)

Paris joins several other major French cities, including Lille, Strasbourg and Bordeaux, who are all protesting the same issues. 

WORLD CUP 2022: DENMARK TO PROTEST HOST NATION WITH ‘TONED-DOWN JERSEYS’

"It’s impossible for us to ignore the many warnings of abuse and exploitation of migrant workers by non-governmental organizations," Jeanne Barseghian, the mayor of Strasbourg, said in a statement. "We cannot condone these abuses, we cannot turn a blind eye when human rights are violated."

The kit provider for the Danish national soccer team recently announced on social media that while it will not be boycotting the World Cup, it plans to make a statement with "toned-down" jerseys. 

Tea