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IOC says athlete protests remain banned at Tokyo Olympics

Should protests be banned at the Olympics?

  • Yes

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • No

    Votes: 6 40.0%
  • Possibly, under certain circumstances

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Undecided

    Votes: 1 6.7%
  • Other

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    15

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
IOC says athlete protests remain banned at Tokyo Olympics - UPI.com

April 21 (UPI) -- The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that athlete protests and political messages will remain banned at the Tokyo Olympics after a survey found that a majority of competitors supported keeping the ban in place.

The decision means that raising a fist on the podium -- as American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos famously did at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City -- or taking a knee could lead to discipline at the Tokyo Games this year.

70% of the athletes said that it was not appropriate to protest during the games.

In a statement, the IOC said more than 3,500 athletes were surveyed over the past year, with 70% of those individuals saying it was "not appropriate to demonstrate or express their views" on the field of play or during the opening and closing ceremonies.

The survey also revealed that 67% of respondents disapproved of podium demonstrations.

This puts the IOC at odds with the US Olympic Committee.

Smith and Carlos were expelled from the 1968 Olympics after raising their fists.

The upholding of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, which bans any "demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda" at the Games, puts the IOC at odds with United States Olympic officials.

In December, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said it won't take action if athletes raise their fists or kneel during the national anthem at event trials before the Tokyo Games.

The U.S. Olympic body eased its stance after competitors asked for the right to express themselves on racial and social justice issues.

The Tokyo Olympic Games are scheduled to start July 23 and run through Aug. 8.
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
IOC says athlete protests remain banned at Tokyo Olympics - UPI.com

70% of the athletes said that it was not appropriate to protest during the games.

This puts the IOC at odds with the US Olympic Committee.
I think political statements and so forth are completely beside the point at something like an Olympic event. It is there for a very specific purpose, and anyone trying to make it about something else - something personal to themselves besides whether or not they can kick everyone else's butt in a particular event - doesn't seem to have a place, honestly.

Sort of like the idea of separating church and state. If one group has their say on a topic, then you have to let anyone and everyone have their say or make displays. That could very well just end up being a lot of posturing and distraction - when the event has a very specific premise.

Not to mention that this particular event is designed to be a way for countries to simultaneously come together and also compete in a peaceful way. Protests, in particular, go against the grain of that. It is a statement like "we may be together, but I still have my gripes" - which defeats the spirit of the games, in my opinion. Then you can't just "come together" in any avenue - must it be just another demonstration of how displeased everyone is with one another?
 

Kooky

Freedom from Sanity
This is not surprising, as neither the Japanese government nor the corrupt swamp that is the IOC have ever been notable fans of people exercising their civic rights to publically express their grievances in protest.
 
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Lyndon

"Peace is the answer" quote: GOD, 2014
Premium Member
I think political statements and so forth are completely beside the point at something like an Olympic event. It is there for a very specific purpose, and anyone trying to make it about something else - something personal to themselves besides whether or not they can kick everyone else's butt in a particular event - doesn't seem to have a place, honestly.

Sort of like the idea of separating church and state. If one group has their say on a topic, then you have to let anyone and everyone have their say or make displays. That could very well just end up being a lot of posturing and distraction - when the event has a very specific premise.

Not to mention that this particular event is designed to be a way for countries to simultaneously come together and also compete in a peaceful way. Protests, in particular, go against the grain of that. It is a statement like "we may be together, but I still have my gripes" - which defeats the spirit of the games, in my opinion. Then you can't just "come together" in any avenue - must it be just another demonstration of how displeased everyone is with one another?

Yes, freedom of speech is of no importance whatsoever!
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
IOC says athlete protests remain banned at Tokyo Olympics - UPI.com



70% of the athletes said that it was not appropriate to protest during the games.



This puts the IOC at odds with the US Olympic Committee.

The problem with allowing protests is that different people think they are morally justified to protest different issues. The idea we should allow protests is really the idea that we should allow 'good' protests as defined by us.

Maybe some Chinese athletes would like to have anti-Uygher protests. Or some pro-Putin athletes may want to protest against LGBT+ rights, or against immigration. Maybe some MAGA Americans want to have a Q-Anon or 'stop the steal' protest, or 'Justice for Derek Chauvin'.
 

Kooky

Freedom from Sanity
Isn`t the Olympic games a sporting event and not a political event :confused:
Yes to freedom of speech, but why mix sport and politics :confused:
Have you ever watched footage from, or read about the 1936 Olympic games in Berlin, the 1956 games in Melbourne, the 1980 games in Moscow, or the 2008 games in Beijing?

The Olympic games have never not mixed sport and politics.

(edit: added reference to Moscow and Melbourne games)
 
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Kooky

Freedom from Sanity
The problem with allowing protests is that different people think they are morally justified to protest different issues. The idea we should allow protests is really the idea that we should allow 'good' protests as defined by us.

Maybe some Chinese athletes would like to have anti-Uygher protests. Or some pro-Putin athletes may want to protest against LGBT+ rights, or against immigration. Maybe some MAGA Americans want to have a Q-Anon or 'stop the steal' protest, or 'Justice for Derek Chauvin'.
I don't understand why you are framing this question as a hypothetical one. We know for a fact that totalitarian regimes use the Olympic games as a platform to make themselves and their reprehensible ideologies look inviting, because that is what happened when e.g. Hitler's Germany hosted the games in 1936.
And the 2008 Beijing games were also, arguably, a massive propaganda event for the PRC, with the opening ceremony directed by none other than China's Riefenstahl, Zhang Yimou.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Countries can protest by boycotting them.
Those attending should agree to not protest.
Athletes & countries who can't honor the
agreement should stay away.
Any athletes famous enough should know the event is time to focus on the gold. That means if they want to distract themselves anyways , I'd say go ahead, knock yourself out.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
I don't understand why you are framing this question as a hypothetical one. We know for a fact that totalitarian regimes use the Olympic games as a platform to make themselves and their reprehensible ideologies look inviting, because that is what happened when e.g. Hitler's Germany hosted the games in 1936.
And the 2008 Beijing games were also, arguably, a massive propaganda event for the PRC, with the opening ceremony directed by none other than China's Riefenstahl, Zhang Yimou.
And yet the Olympics continue on despite those abuses. It is a given that there will be some propaganda for the host country (except when America hosted the Olympics of course:rolleyes:). Limiting athletic protests is an attempt to minimize politics.

By the way, athletes can still protest, there will merely be repercussions. So if you are planning anything at the Olympics wait until you have completed your event. Otherwise you might not.
 
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