The IOC just did the fastest U-turn rule change in sports involving protests... Tokyo 2020 U-turn allows social media teams to show athletes taking the knee IOC and Tokyo 2020 organisers overturn opening-day ban Olympics tweet picture of GB’s Lucy Bronze taking knee The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo 2020 organisers have performed a U-turn over their stance to stop their social media teams from posting pictures of athletes taking the knee at these Olympic Games. The decision comes after the Guardian revealed they had issued a diktat against showing such images just hours before Team GB’s women’s first football match against Chile on Wednesday. On the first day of competition there was not a single shot of an athlete taking a knee on the official Tokyo 2020 live blog, Facebook and Twitter pages or Instagram. That was despite USA and Sweden players, as well as those from New Zealand, all taking a knee in protest against racism. 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 US at the 1968 Olympics. However on Thursday morning Tokyo time on Twitter the @Olympics account tweeted a picture of Lucy Bronze taking a knee – the same photo the Guardian had used in its original story. Along with a message: “Sports started yesterday. Just some of the highlights: Japan starting strong in softball. Teams were kneeling before the competition.” Athletes at these Games are allowed to protest after the IOC relaxed Rule 50, which had previously forbidden athletes to make any kind of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas”. Peaceful protest is now allowed on the field of play, provided it is done without disruption and with respect for fellow competitors. However, sanctions are still threatened for any protests made on the medal podium. Speaking after the match against Chile, Steph Houghton, one of Team GB’s three captains, said the decision to take a knee was supported by the entire squad. “We felt strongly as a group that we wanted to show support for those affected by discrimination and equality,” she said. https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-media-teams-to-show-athletes-taking-the-knee ---------- I bet the U.S. Hammer Thrower Gwendolyn Berry is painting her finger nails with protest colors right now and singing with joy...she can peacefully protest now provided it is done without disruption and with respect for fellow competitors. I think the IOC caved in after all the other crap of athletes dropping out, athletes testing positive for Covid, growing protests by civilians outside of the Olympic Village, and a few small scandals... P.S. Look at the legs of those three U.S. Hammer Throwers...their legs are like professional football players (fullbacks). wrbtrader
This is the problem w/organizations taking a stance against athlete's freedoms, they just look like backpedaling pussies w/a fascistic slant that nobody respects. It's why it's better to either go all in from the beginning like Nike, rather than play defense for years like the NFL.
Again it is easier when put in context. The soccer players taking a knee is a part of a global movement agaisnt racism that has been rampant from the fans of the sport all over Europe. This is not tied to BLM or George Floyd or anything like that at all or athletes protesting against a flag or anthem. There are no anthems played in pro soccer before the game and not su re how the Olympics handle it. It is a quick kneel before the kick off. The IOC was more concerned about displays on the podium when an anthem was playing and flags were displayed. This is not the same thing.
Yeah, I'm aware that Europe soccer have been protesting against racism long before George Floyd including in North American sports (e.g. Kaepernick). wrbtrader
It started with Kaepernick, and expanded with Floyd. Kaepernick first took a knee in 2016. They take a knee in support of the cause, regardless whether an American flag is raised, or whether an American anthem is being played. It's done in solidarity.
More: https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/why...at-taking-the-knee/10iqy03uyp5y01uh4x89dnaicz More: https://www.dw.com/en/euro-2020-germany-join-england-in-kneeling-protest/a-58084605
My point was the IOC was against any type of protests being done during podium medal ceremonies or when flags are presented. The soccer protests going back before George Floyd were not necessarily kneeling but they had messages on shirts and around the stadiums. I think the IOC did not really object to what happened in the game because it was part of the game for sometime before the Olympics and they were not doing it during an anthem or flag. It was simply before the whistle. Also it was NOT a BLM solidarity because in the U.S. BLM became an organization and went batshit crazy. Europe used the phrase only for support and it was more for solidarity with the Black players in their leagues that were being subject to horrible racism. They do not have the crazy shit we have in the U.S. with organizations that spring up claiming ownership of a phrase.
eh, i'd say there is/was BLM solidarity. Because Europe doesn't really have "black overpolicing" and because there were a few incidents of fan racism, the movement may have shifted or been hijacked. Regardless of the reasons, it's still "political activism", so the point is moot since as far as I can tell, the IOC doesn't specify what activism they object to.