The International Olympic Committee has announced that Olympians at the summer games will not be permitted to protest during competition and medal ceremonies.
Athletes who choose to take a knee, raise their fists, or engage in any form of social justice protests during the games will be punished by the Olympic committee, according to Market Watch.
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“The IOC AC is very concerned about the risk of politicisation of the athletes and the risk that athletes may be put under external pressure,” the IOC said in a statement. “It is important to protect athletes from the potential consequences of being placed in a position where they may be forced to take a public position on a particular domestic or international issue, regardless of their beliefs.”
The IOC opted not to change a rule, referred to as Rule 50, that has long prevented athletes from engaging in political demonstrations at the podium in order to “protect the integrity of the sport.”
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A recent poll of more than 3,500 athletes from over 180 countries found that 70% of athletes believe protests on the field of play are inappropriate and 67% of them opposed protests on medal stands.
The Summer Olympics in Tokyo was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic last year and is scheduled to begin on July 23.
Over the past few years, athletes of all backgrounds in every major sports league have protested during the national anthem by taking a knee. Polling released in March showed that 34% of people have watched sports less as a direct result of those protests.
