It didn't take long
after Qatar was awarded this year's World Cup in 2010 for
controversy to follow - but as the event neared, calls for boycotts and human
rights activism spiked on Twitter, according to a study conducted by Montclair
State University.
Since
being awarded hosting rights, conservative Muslim nation Qatar
has faced criticism for its treatment of low-paid migrant workers
as well as its criminalization of homosexuality.
“Qatar’s systematic
abuse of labor (reportedly more than 6,500 migrant workers have died while
supporting infrastructure and construction for the tournament) and the
country’s blatant discrimination against women and LGBTQ+ people have led to
online movements to boycott the tournament, some cities to ban public viewing
events and teams to activate anti-discrimination campaigns on and away from the
pitch.”
The study sampled
22,000 tweets where the #boycottqatar2022 hashtag was analyzed from Oct. 15
through Nov. 14. with 18,412,437 potential impressions reaching more than 43
million people.
“The vast majority
(92%) of those tweeting about the boycott demonstrated support of the boycott
and human rights activism,” the study shows.
The full results can be
found
here.
Qatar, home to 3
million people, most of them migrant workers, has spent more than $200 billion
on preparation for the World Cup. Seven new stadiums were
built, including the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium north of Doha.
AP Wire Services contributed to this report.