Peter Tatchell has warned Qatar that the world’s eyes will be on the country during the World Cup, as protesters gathered outside its embassy in London to highlight the dangers faced by LGBTQ+ people, women and migrant workers.
Tatchell said t was “outrageous” that figures including David Beckham were promoting Qatar and the tournament, in effect asking fans to ignore human rights abuses and the country’s record on LGBTQ+ issues.
Tatchell, 70, who was arrested in Doha in October for staging a one-man protest outside the National Museum of Qatar, was speaking at the demonstration on Saturday, in an area of London peppered with embassies and high commissions, a stone’s throw from Hyde Park.
Tatchell said: “Our message to Qatar is that the world is watching. We are here to shine a light on the regime’s abuse of women, of LGBTs and migrant workers. We are also sending a message of love and solidarity with those very brave Qataris who are struggling for democracy and human rights.”
On the eve of the World Cup’s opening match, he called for fans to boycott games, but to share stories about the situation in the country if they were still watching them.
“I can understand why fans would want to watch the matches. But I’d ask them to use their social media to amplify the human rights abuses in Qatar and to call out Fifa over its collusion with what is a sexist, homophobic and racist dictatorship,” he said.
Under the overcast skies of central London, the crowd of 50 people shouted “no freedom, no football”, and “shame on Fifa, shame on Qatar”. David Beckham’s name was booed and met with a chant of “shame on Beckham”. Once considered a gay icon, the former England captain has taken a reported £150m deal to promote Qatar.
The comedian Joe Lycett has said he will shred £10,000 of his own money on Sunday if Beckham does not end the sponsorship deal before the tournament starts, in a protest over Qatar’s laws – which include criminalisation of homosexuality.
On Saturday Lycett tweeted a photograph of what appears to be a stack of cash with the caption “24 hours to go… #benderslikeBeckham”.
Tatchell said: “It’s outrageous that celebrities like David Beckham, who claim to be allies of the LGBTQ+ community, have described the Qatar regime as ‘perfection’, despite the fact that LGBT Qataris are subject to online entrapment, ‘honour’ killing, jailing and forced conversion therapy.”