Paris—The global Pokemon Go craze has prompted a slew of complaints, from memorial sites arguing it’s disrespectful to play there to whole countries imposing a ban on the smartphone game.
But is it really possible to declare a place a no-go zone for people hunting the cartoon monsters?
Which places have declared war on Pokemon?
Sites that have expressed irritation at Pokemon Go players include private properties, government buildings, historic monuments and memorial sites.
The museum at the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, the Holocaust memorial in Berlin and Japan’s Hiroshima memorial have all complained about visitors bent over their mobiles trying to catch Pikachus instead of contemplating the weight of history.
Iran and Saudi Arabia have also declared blanket bans on the game.
The Iranian ban came days after its release last month, with officials saying it could be used for spying because the app leads users to real-life locations—though youngsters are playing regardless, using VPN connections to mask their location.
In Saudi Arabia, the top clerical body has meanwhile re-issued a 15-year-old fatwa banning Pokemon in response to the new smartphone version, saying it is too much like gambling and appears to be based on the theory of evolution, which is rejected by Islam.