Only one occasion is affected by the ban. The organizers are shocked.
The only planned public viewing in the city of Zurich will be banned.
Can you still watch football? Even though the World Cup stadiums in Qatar were built under poor to catastrophic conditions for migrant workers? And even though the major event is anything but climate-neutral? The question is aired these days by columnists of all genres. So it is no wonder that the debate reached the municipal council. He made it clear on Wednesday evening that he does not want any public viewings on public land in Zurich. Out of protest.
Verdict four days before kick-off
As a result of the decision, the plug was pulled from a single event – a public viewing for 800 people. Two young men prepared it in their free time. The verdict falls four days before kick-off.
The ban was introduced by Mischa Schiwow, municipal councilor for alternatives. In the council, he said it couldn’t be that politicians in Zurich were silent, since Fifa has its headquarters here. Of course it’s about symbolic politics, but you have to prevent the Qatar World Cup in Zurich from being propagated on public land.
Michael Schmid (FDP) pointed out that the postulate came twelve years after the World Cup was awarded to Qatar and less than a hundred hours before kick-off. Stephan Iten (SVP) complained that red-green wanted to ban everything that was fun – without any effect on the world climate or peace. His party colleague Bernhard in Oberdorf thought both were “crazy”, the postulate and the World Cup being awarded to Qatar.
SP and Green voted with the AL, Center and GLP decided to vote. This was enough for a clear approval.
The security department had waited until the municipal council meeting before making the decision to approve the only public viewing on public land. This is despite the fact that, from a technical point of view, the AL initiative is only a non-binding postulate.
On Thursday morning, the security department announced that the city of Zurich would follow the decision of the municipal council. Head Karin Rykart (Greens) decided not to approve the request, according to a communiqué. Parliament had clearly expressed its will.
The security department also writes that interest in public viewings is minimal anyway, since the World Cup will take place in winter and Qatar, as the host country, has been criticized for human rights violations.
Many companies, organizations and other cities would officially boycott the World Cup. In addition, in view of the growing shortage of energy and the increasing urgency to save energy, it is not appropriate to heat a large tent for such an event.
Emmanuel Charles and Hasan Sünbül from Wettingen had planned an event with a tent, large screen and street food on Gustav-Gull-Platz near Europa-Allee in District 4. When asked by the NZZ, the organizers made their displeasure clear about how the city, specifically the security department under Karin Rykart, dealt with them.
The planning has been going on for months. One was always in contact with the authorities, specifically with the office for events, which belongs to the security department. Sünbül and Charles say that it was always about detailed questions such as electrical connections or the nature of the tent floor. The fact that the occasion might not be approved at all was never mentioned with a syllable. Until then, at the beginning of November, the security department suddenly said that the permit was uncertain.
The security department presents it differently: After a brief contact in the summer, there was no further exchange between organizers and the city administration. “In addition, there was never, either verbally or in writing, a promise for a permit,” writes the department. The application was only received by the Events Office on November 3rd. The organizers were informed the next day that it might not be approved for political reasons.
Of course there are better venues than Qatar, says Emmanuel Charles. “But it is not our decision where the World Cup takes place. We want people to have a good time and watch the games. Not a single other public viewing was planned in the city center.”
The two organizers wanted to promote an Amnesty International petition during the half-time breaks. This aims to compensate migrant workers in Qatar. The NGO will confirm contact with the organizers upon request. The spokeswoman Natalie Wenger says: “We are present at various public viewings in Switzerland to keep the pressure on Fifa and the regime in Qatar high. We are not calling for a boycott, but have other means of achieving our goal.”
50,000 francs damage
The neighborhood association of district 4 supported the public viewing after a request from the organizers. With the municipal council decision, this is of course waste.
For the two, the financial consequences are steep. You would have had to make advance payments of up to 50 percent to suppliers; they were just waiting for the go. This goes from the tent construction to the lighting and the inventory to the mobile toilet. They estimate the financial losses at 50,000 francs. They feel that the short-term and, in their view, unfounded cancellation is extremely unfair and arbitrary.
The AL councilor Schiwow can understand that the late point in time of his postulate can be viewed critically. “Yes, we should have submitted it earlier,” he says when asked. He can also understand that the short-term cancellation is difficult for the organizers. “But better late than never.”
The range of public football watching in the city of Zurich is less plentiful this year than in other years. But this is primarily because the World Cup takes place in cold, wet November instead of in early summer. The fact that a restaurant does not broadcast in protest, such as the “Nordbrücke” in Zurich Wipkingen, is the exception. There are some occasions on private property. They do not fall under the municipal ban.