German stadium lights candles to protest Qatar
STORY: Hundreds of volunteers lit the candles on Germany's Day of the Dead that also coincides with the start of the World Cup in Qatar.
6,500 footballs filled with sand were also laid out in the stadium, to commemorate the thousands of migrant laborers killed on World Cup construction sites in Qatar, according to an AWO press release.
According to an AWO press release, more than 15,000 migrant laborers have been killed whilst building Qatar stadiums for the tournament.
Sunday's protest was the second event organized by AWO and Trieb. In April, the group deposited sand-filled footballs outside the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international pressure for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws on homosexuality and women's rights.
Disquiet over the country's human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the games at the Nov. 20- Dec. 18 tournament.
