Show Some Respect! IOC Releases Guideline That Prohibits Protests and Demonstrations

Nick Kangadis | January 10, 2020
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Look, I think the original intent of the modern Olympics was good — unite people around the world through the lens of sport. But as most worldwide “modern” things tend to do, the games got progressively more — well, progressive — and a globalist, political dark cloud began hanging over the games more and more as the years went on.

It’s not clear whether the tides are turning on the games, but there was one positive step taken on Thursday that will take effect in this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), who have worn out their trustworthiness over the years, introduced a new guideline stating that there shall be no protests or demonstrations during pretty much any part of the games, which piggybacks off of Rule 50 of the Olympic charter, according to The Hill.

Rule 50 states the following: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

In the incredibly divisive time we live in globally, it’ll be interesting to see whether the athletes, particularly from the U.S. and Canada, will adhere to the strict guideline update.

The Blaze reported:

While athletes will be allowed to say what they want during interview and news conferences outside the Olympic Village, and on social media, they won't be able to protest in the village, on the field of play, or during medal ceremonies.

The IOC defined political protest as "displaying any political messaging, including signs or armbands and gestures of a political nature, like a hand gesture or kneeling.”

That prohibits some popular forms of public political protest by athletes, such as kneeling during the national anthem or making some sort of gesture during the medal ceremony.

The IOC ban on demonstrations also includes "religious or racial propaganda.”

So, it’s not like the IOC is preventing anyone from espousing their beliefs or taking a stand on any issue. They simply don’t want it on Olympic grounds, which is good. Heck, athletes aren't prohibited from posting political or social messages on social media, so their soapboxes weren't completely taken away.

If you’re an Olympic athlete and you’ve worked your whole life to qualify for the biggest athletic event in the world, possibly besides the World Cup, do you really want to be remembered — not for the years of difficult training or your performance — but for some political stance that no one tuned in to hear or see in the first place? Not only that, but you look like a self-righteous jerk. Show some respect and pick another time for your virtue signaling.

For once, the IOC did a good job in their stewardship of the Olympic games.

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