Paris joins big screen boycott of World Cup games from Qatar

By JADE LE DELEY and BARBARA SURK
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Paris has decided against broadcasting World Cup matches on giant screens in public fan zones amid concerns over rights violations of migrant workers and the environmental impact of the tournament in Qatar. Pierre Rabadan, deputy mayor of Paris in charge of sports, tells reporters in Paris the decision is due to “the environmental and social” impact. He cited “air-conditioned stadiums” and “the conditions in which these facilities have been built”. The move comes despite the city’s football club, Paris Saint-Germain, being owned by Qatar Sports Investments. A growing number of French cities are also refusing to erect screens to publicly broadcast the World Cup despite France being the defending champion.