Fifa 2022: Germany Players Covered Mouths to Protest
Players from Germany covered their mouths before their World Cup’s first match against Japan to protest against the Rainbow coloured armband ban imposed by FIFA.
The 2022 FIFA world cup is taking place in Qatar and is scheduled to take place between 20th of November to 18th of December. However, a not so normal incident happened in the tournament, when players from Germany covered their mouths for the team photo before their World Cup’s first match against Japan on Wednesday, 23rd of November.
They did that to protest against FIFA's refusal to allow rainbow-themed armbands. If you don’t already know, Captains of seven European teams had planned to wear the anti-discrimination armbands during the tournament in Qatar as part of a campaign for diversity which supports the LGBTQ community. However, they backed down over the threat of disciplinary action from football's governing body, including yellow cards. The rainbow armbands had been viewed as a symbolic protest against laws in Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal.
Germany's football federation said in a tweet it posted moments after the photo protest that "human rights are not negotiable". "To ban the armband is like banning our right to speak," the federation added. The German government spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said earlier in the day in Berlin that FIFA's decision to stop captains from wearing the Rainbow coloured armbands was very unfortunate. German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who was to attend the game in Doha against Japan, said FIFA's ban was a huge mistake. Not only players, but fans should also be allowed to support LGBTQ symbols openly, she told reporters in Qatar. Security staff at the World Cup have ordered spectators to remove items of clothing featuring rainbow logos. However, their photo campaign to protest against the ban imposed on rainbow coloured armbands became a huge success as it got massively viral soon after it was posted on twitter. What do you think about this? Do mention your thoughts in the comment section below.
