People warned after finding out that Turkey's special ops force will be policing the World Cup
We're just about two weeks out from the first match of the 2022 World Cup, but as an estimated 1.2 million football fans from all over descend on Qatar, so too are some of the world's strictest police forces.
Football fans aren't exactly known for being quiet and reserved, so there's a lot of speculation over how this is going to go down in the famously strict Gulf state.
For one thing, it's not only the local Qatar police that will be patrolling fans from November to December.
There'll also be police forces flying in from the UK, the US, South Korea, France, Turkey, Italy, and Pakistan to work across the eight stadiums in Doha, Qatar.
Advert
These police forces, that are coming in as part of Operation World Cup Shield, could end up being just as tough, if not tougher than local police.
For example, it was previously announced that Turkey was sending 3,250 officers to Qatar - including members of its special operations force - according to Nordic Monitor, an NGO raising awareness about radical and extremist trends in Europe.
The special operations unit is typically deployed in Turkey to fight terrorists and for other extreme circumstances, and has previously been subject to heavy criticism over alleged human rights violations.
There have also been reports Turkey will send warships and marines to serve in Qatar during the world cup.
Additionally, French riot police who infamously unleashed tear gas on Liverpool fans after the Champions League final are also expected to be in operation.
Videos circulated on social media in May of this year, showing police officers spraying the substance at Liverpool supporters, who were attempting to show their tickets at the turnstiles at the Stade de France.
Paris police chief Didier Lallement has since said he was 'sorry' for the incident, so let's hope we won't be seeing similar scenes in Qatar.
Despite the tight security measures, police are reportedly being urged to operate with restraint when football fans descend on Qatar and behave differently to the country's cultural norms.
According to a report seen by the Guardian, agreements have been made to ensure that football fans should be able to hang flags over statues, sing songs in public, and climb up on tables to celebrate, without being stopped by police.
LGBTQ+ fans should also be allowed to show affection, despite homosexuality being illegal, and women should be able to access medical care, including anything related to pregnancy or reproductive health, despite extra-marital sex being illegal.
How is all this really going to play out? We'll have to wait until 20 November to find out.
Ali Condon