Brazilian journalist at World Cup says regional flag mistaken for LGBTQ symbol
Reuters
Published Nov 22, 2022 04:24PM ET
Updated Nov 22, 2022 11:51PM ET
By Steven Grattan and Gabriel Araujo
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - A journalist covering the soccer World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday said local police hassled him outside a stadium after a regional Brazilian flag was mistaken for an LGBTQ pride flag.
Brazilian Victor Pereira said authorities seized his phone after he recorded a man's negative reaction to Pereira's colorful flag of Brazil's northeastern Pernambuco state, which sports a rainbow, a red cross and a star.
He told Reuters that a man wearing a traditional white dress mistook it for the LGBTQ community's rainbow flag when he was leaving the Lusail Stadium after Saudi Arabia's shock 2-1 win over Argentina.
Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and punishable with prison.
"This guy wearing a white dress grabbed the flag, threw it on the ground and started stomping on it. I took my phone to record a video but he grabbed it from my hand and said he would only give it back if I deleted the video," Pereira said.
"Then an officer arrived and tried to intervene. He grabbed the phone from the other guy and ordered me to delete the video."
Pereira said he obeyed to make sure he would get his phone back as he uses it for work. His case made the news on Tuesday after he uploaded a new video on Twitter relaying what happened.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar's World Cup organizers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the Qatari government's media office.
Pernambuco's governor Paulo Camara expressed his solidarity with Pereira on Twitter.
A U.S. journalist said he was briefly detained on Monday when he tried to enter a World Cup stadium in Qatar while wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ community, also claiming his phone was seized.
Get The News You Want
Written By: Reuters
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.