– It’s a great dress. I am absolutely sure that I will get in, says Helle Thorning-Schmidt to news in Qatar. The former Danish Prime Minister, who now works for the Danish Football Association, thus defies Fifa’s rules that rainbow bandages are not allowed. news saw that Thorning-Schmidt was allowed to enter the stadium with the dress. This is in stark contrast to the treatment that supporters and journalists have received in the first few days of the World Cup. AT DENMARK-KAMP: Former Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt. Photo: Dag Robert Johansen / news Welsh Laura McAllister was not allowed to enter the opening match against the USA wearing a rainbow hat, while the American journalist Grant Wahl was refused entry after wearing a T-shirt with a rainbow effect. – It is mind-boggling that they are not allowed to wear rainbow bandages, says a Danish supporter to news in Qatar. – In our culture, it is not allowed. We must support our religion. We support Qatar and we do not want to see the rainbow flag on the pitch, says a Tunisian supporter to news. The Danish journalist Jon Pagh was also stopped by Qatari police after he had borrowed a “OneLove” armband during a TV feature for TV 2. – Becomes a form of prison During a Teams meeting on 20 October with all the rights holders for football World Cup, Fifa sorted out which symbols were legal and which were not. The image below shows Fifa’s training program for the security guards in Qatar. There you can clearly see that the rainbow symbol is one of several symbols that the security guards must allow. This has not been the case for a number of supporters in Qatar. RAINBOW SYMBOL: At a meeting ahead of the World Cup, Fifa stated what was allowed in Qatar and what was not. But Welshman Laura McAllister was stopped. Photo: Skjermdump/news – I’m completely exhausted. This joins the series of strange demonstrations of power that the organizers with support from Fifa have decided to engage in, says news’s sports commentator Jan Petter Saltvedt. – The whole World Cup becomes a form of prison where you can only go in the assigned prison uniforms. Even not entirely innocent symbols that we see as founding human rights are allowed, says Saltvedt. Football president Lise Klaveness tells news that it was clarified and guaranteed by the WC committee ahead of the championship that rainbow flags would be allowed. VERY WRONG: This is what football president Lise Klaveness thinks after supporters are stopped with rainbow flags. Photo: Beate Oma Dahle / NTB – It should be allowed to wear rainbow flags, of course, for supporters. It is very, very inappropriate that supporters are stopped in that way, says Klaveness to news. – The meeting we had with Fifa was also very awkward, where Fifa was uncompromising and seemed keen to put an end to these discussions. The good thing about it was that the Uefa countries stood together on it, and now we have to digest it and discuss what to do next, says the football president. news has contacted FIFA about why they have changed their regulations to rainbow bandages, so far without success. – They must respect our religion Wall, who was stopped after his T-shirt was too political, says that his mobile phone was taken from him by a guard and that he was arrested for 25 minutes. It happened on the same day that Fifa made threats of sporting punishment if captains wore rainbow armbands during matches in the World Cup. Denmark also has no plans for this on Tuesday. – It is really sad. DBU (the Danish Football Association) has fought from day one for something to happen in Fifa, says Thorning-Schmidt to Ekstra Bladet and news. ENTERING: Here Thorning-Schmidt enters the VIP entrance to the match between Denmark and Tunisia. Photo: Dag Robert Johansen / news The former Danish prime minister says that Fifa has been a little vague about what sanctions could come, but that it could also be more than “just” a yellow card. – You have to ask yourself the question whether you want to accept any sporting consequences, which are either a yellow card or a whole match (quarantine) for the captain, she says, and continues: – You can risk a whole match. That is what I understand Fifa has threatened, she says. – I am happy for the seven confederations that have worked together on this, but now is perhaps the time to say that now we will play football. That does not mean that anyone is giving up the fight for LGBT rights to have a place in football. It should be remembered that only seven of the 211 member countries in Fifa thought this was a good idea. I think DBU has fought a fair fight and I am also happy to fight, says Thorning-Schmidt. The Tunisian supporter news met before the match against Denmark thinks it is provocative that World Cup teams want to mark with rainbow symbols. – They must respect our religion and culture. When we travel to Denmark, we respect Danish culture and religion. When you come to Doha, an Arab country or a Muslim country, you have to respect it. That is the problem, he says.
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Defied Fifa’s no – former prime minister stepped in with this dress – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
