Top U.S. diplomat criticizes FIFA armband threat at World Cup soccer event
WASHINGTON — A senior US diplomat said Tuesday that he was “troubled” over criticism of a video depicting a man with a red armband in a black FIFA World Cup armband.
The armband in question — also known as the FIFA World Cup armband — was a symbol of protest against the World Cup being played in Brazil this summer. It showed a red ribbon and had an anti-FIFA message of sorts: “FIFA, you suck.”
The game-day armband was among more than a dozen items to be removed from the event in June by a FIFA task force after the South American soccer nation’s top-rated men’s federation said it would boycott the World Cup if organizers don’t remove them and “respect” its rights as an international sports organization.
But that’s only one aspect of the debate over the protests during the World Cup, and the armband issue.
The United States has asked for FIFA’s help in resolving the armband issue in an attempt to resolve the anti-Armenian protests, which have been met with violence and sometimes fatal protests in Armenia.
“I do find it troubling and regrettable that a country in a position of global power and respect would use an armband as a form of protest,” Deputy Secretary of State William Burns told reporters.
“If we can resolve that, we’d be grateful and we obviously intend to take the steps required to resolve this,” he said.
But at Tuesday’s press briefing, Burns said that he remained concerned about the anti-Armenian protests.
“I did have a meeting the other day with the acting secretary general, who is a former Armenian prime minister, and he explained to me that the situation is very dangerous. He said that it is not a good situation for the people of Armenia,” Burns said.
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