EXPLAINER: What’s the history of the Olympics protest rule?
Associated PressTOKYO — The simple act of taking a knee felt like something more monumental when it happened on Olympic soccer pitches in Japan on the opening night of action. The Olympic rule banning such demonstrations at the Games has been hotly debated and contested for decades, and those issues reached a flashpoint over the past two years. Rule 50 of the IOC charter states: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.” WHO: The ideals of the rule were most notably put to the test before it was officially enshrined in the Olympic charter. The coronavirus pandemic pushed the Games back by 12 months, and the killing of George Floyd in the United States — and the activism that followed — prompted a thorough rethinking of the rule. The USOPC decided it would no longer sanction athletes who violated Rule 50, thus placing pressure on the IOC, which often depends on the national committees to enforce its rules at the Games.
History of this topic
Olympics 2024: What are the rules on political protests and the punishments?
The IndependentTokyo Olympics: IOC gives athletes more scope for protest
The Hindu
IOC gives athletes more scope for protest at Tokyo Olympics
Associated Press
IOC can't stop athletes taking a knee in Tokyo Olympics, says Britain's Callum Skinner
The Hindu
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Protests and demonstrations banned at games as Rule 50 upheld
CNN
Listening to athletes, USOPC won’t punish Olympic protests
Associated Press)
US Olympic leaders open to challenging IOC rules restricting protests at the Games
FirstpostIOC in talks about Rule 50, easing protest ban at Olympics
The Hindu)
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Protests or not, politics and the Games have always been intertwined
Firstpost
Editorial: We should all take a knee over the Olympic athlete protest crackdown
LA Times
IOC details rules on political protests at Olympics
Associated PressIOC details rules on political protests at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
The Hindu
Olympic leaders get tough on athletes who protest at 2020 Tokyo Games
LA TimesDiscover Related
)
)
)
)
)
)
