According to a report from The Guardian, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics have prohibited their social media teams from posting pictures of athletes taking a knee.
The Guardian cites an “insider” who says the ban was “delivered from on high Tuesday evening Tokyo time.” Media around the world reported on the protests and published photos of the athletes kneeling, but none of those photos appeared on any official websites or social media channels of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics themselves.
Per The Guardian:
“An insider told the Guardian they found the IOC’s stance odd given the organisation celebrates iconic pictures of protest – including Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists to protest against the unfair treatment of black people in the United States at the 1968 Olympics.”
The blackout on protest photos muddles what had previously looked like a clear step towards free expression by the IOC. Previously, Rule 50 of the IOC charter had permitted athletes to express themselves in media interviews, but not on the field of play. As athletes, fans and observers pushed back against the unpopular rule, the IOC updated its policies to allow free expression on the field of play, but only before competition begins and as long as the expression is “consistent with the Fundamental Principles of Olympism.”
The rules still prohibit expressions, protests, and political statements on the podium, a taboo likely to be tested in the coming weeks in Tokyo. Allowing on-field protests helped address some of the concerns that the IOC was stifling expression by limiting protests to the least-visible parts of the Olympic venue. But the IOC’s blackout on those images appearing anywhere in official media postings undercuts that visibility component significantly.
One important development to watch this week will be whether Olympic TV broadcasters (not direct outlets of the IOC or the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but Olympic partners) will show athletes kneeling, or whether they will mirror the official IOC/Tokyo 2020 policy of not publicizing any evidence of protests.
Lunge form looks like it would be hard on that front knee.
Why is taking the knee viewed as political, taking the knee is someone expression of their impression of social injustice.
In Australia the women’s football (soccer to a small minority) instead of taking the knee brought out a native (Aboriginal) Australian flag & the uproar it caused amongst the white folks (this is not the national flag of Australia, well it is one of the 3 formal ones) was alarming, yet our national emblem has 2 native Australian animals & no-one kicks a stink about that.
The red yellow ; black flag flies over many official buildings. I don’t recall any thing about women’s soccer but if they are so invested in Indigenous issues , they ought start by changing their moniker . The Matilda was the lead ship of the 3rd fleet so its EVERYTHING white.
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The vast majority of Aussies say soccer dude. I don’t know any Aussies who says “football” when talking about soccer.
Definitely soccer.
Meanwhile……. a moment of silence was asked during the opening ceremony, not for the overwhelming dead Arabs that INSPIRED Munich 72′ and 9/11 but for fallen athletes from a country that keeps modern day ghettos in 2021 Palestine. Unreal. The new world order is so a** backwards morally. Millions of Arabs have died in fake wars because the UN boundaries have been ignored since 1964. So incredibly rude and ignorant by Tokyo 2020.
Next up for Tokyo 2020: a moment of silence for the imperial Japanese military who invaded china and a moment of silence for Nazi Germany.
When looking at this picture:
Would it be a stronger protest should Ervin was on TWO knees? Or it will make him look like he is praying for the well-being of beloved country.
And also per education purpose only: does it matter what knee should be used for kneeling? Right or left. I think it should be some standards established so it would be no confrontation among the group of protesters should they do it simultaneously.
Wanting politics to be separated from sports is unrealistic especially nowadays. I understand that sports are often an escape from politics and it’s inconvenient to have them interrupted with protest. However, local and global political climates are very much intertwined with sports, and silencing athletes for speaking their mind proves exactly that.
Can’t say I’m surprised that the IOC is taking more of a “don’t speak” attitude with only a marginal progression, coming from the organization that displaces thousands of unhoused people every games.
Look, we got the First Lady at Olympic Games in Tokyo. Let her do all this protesting business (kneeling, looking away from National Flag, and other impressive stuff). And let athletes do what they were sent for to Olympic Games on yours and my money.
And also forms of protest became very cheap and boring. Not as it was during old good times when people burnt themselves or starved to death. Some guy chained himself to the old tree protesting against cutting the pristine forest in Pacific Northwest. In two days he was found eaten by grizzly. That is protest. I believe it. But when it done mostly for publicity I despise it.
You sure that bear thing happened? I couldn’t find any evidence that it ever has.
I read it on Quora. Not the most reliable source. Agree. I will do some research as well. 😀
TIL if you want to protest something you need to literally die or your protest is boring 😂😂
If you are inexperienced protester and still are learning how to do so then I can help you. The main purpose of protesting activity isn’t changing something but getting attention of other people to what you are doing or saying. The easiest way to get somebody else’s attention is to rob some business. Go to Southside Chicago. You will find there plenty of experienced tutors. Each criminal claims to be a protester.
Another type of protest you can learn from northern suburbs of Chicago. The gated communities where not only black but white and any other color of life cannot even try to penetrate put a huge sign on the gates: Black life matters.
Hypocrisy is everywhere and… Read more »
There is a French guy on a hunger strike in front of the train station next to the stadium right now…search for it.
Meanwhile, I published a short video of my friend who was walking at the ceremony on social media, and my video was deleted for copyright -_-
thats right how dare you!!
to think the olympics has ever been apolitical is rather naive. How do you explain the use of national flags and anthems?
I personally am not too happy with sport being politicized, but than many other areas of our life previously immune from politics, for most part, no longer are. It came to the point where politics decide what we buy, eat, etc…Life’s tough as it is and I look at sport as an entertainment, the place where I can just enjoy excitement of competition and forget about all other bullshit. I used to follow olympics religiously as a kid in my native Poland. Was heartbroken about boycott of 1980 and 1984 olympics. Right now swimming is the only olympic sport I follow on regular basis. As an immigrant to this country who arrived with $20 in my pocket back in ’80s… Read more »