Qatari police have told fans to quieten their chanting as they continue to stamp their authority during the World Cup.
The incident occurred on the metro, where a group of South American fans were singing loudly. A local, clearly unhappy with the noise levels, informed the authorities, who relayed the message to the fans. They lowered their volume but were visibly unhappy, according to the Express.
Some fans appeared to be from Ecaudor, who beat the hosts 2-0 on Sunday. The local individual marched down the carriage, seeking out a member of the authorities, pointing to their head as if to suggest they had a headache.
Qatar's leaders have made it clear that, whilst they want to be hospitable to the travelling fans, they expect everyone to abide by their rules and their culture. That has caused issues with several groups given that the country has concerning issues surrounding human rights and the gay community.
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has demanded that visitors “respect our culture”. So far, the majority of headlines have surrounded the policing of LGBTQ statements. England and Wales were two nations ready to wear "One Love" captain's armbands.
They u-turned at the eleventh hour after meetings with FIFA whilst Belgium, who had the word "love" inserted on their away shirt collar, have also seen their shirts rejected by the footballing organisation.
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A Wales fan also clashed with the stadium police after they had a rainbow bucket hat confiscated. They were going through security but were told to remove it if they wanted to be granted access.
PA news agency reported that a USA supporter was threatened on the metro for carrying a small rainbow flag as they travelled to the stadium. A man, who appeared to be a Qatar supporter, threatened to “kill” the fan, claiming the flag “was not allowed” and “that flag is banned in this country”.
Riot police were called in to tackle crowd chaos at a World Cup fan zone on the opening night of the tournament. Thousands of fans pushed and shoved against police lines to enter a secure area. Helmeted cops armed with batons and shields stood guard at the entrance and pushing and shoving broke out as crushed fans pleaded to enter the zone.
Before the tournament began FIFA and Qatari officials had undergone discussions where the police force were urged to show restraint when dealing with behaviour that went against their cultural norms, but was common in the western world.
