In a surprise announcement, it was confirmed that athletes participating in the upcoming Olympic games in Tokyo, Japan will not be allowed to participate in or display any form of activism while on the field, including wearing any clothing that bears the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” as reported by Breitbart.
The announcement was made by the International Olympics Committee (IOC), which unveiled the new rule last month, as part of a broader policy to ban any sort of political demonstrations from athletes participating in the games. Participants will not be allowed to wear or display any such attire, and will not be allowed to engage in any form of protest or activism, either during the games or at the winner’s podium.
The only scenarios in which athletes will be allowed to engage in any kind of activism will be off the field, such as during team meetings, interviews, and press conferences taking place outside of the games themselves.
A spokesperson for the IOC revealed that they decided to move forward with the ban after a study found that a majority of 3,500 athletes polled ultimately favored the idea of such a ban.
“A very clear majority of athletes said they think it’s not appropriate to demonstrate or express their views on the field of play, at the official ceremonies, or at the podium,” explained Kirsty Coventry, the head of the IOC Athletes’ Commission. “So our recommendation is to preserve the podium, field of play, and official ceremonies from any kind of protest or demonstration or acts perceived as such.”
The decision comes after such far-left activism and demonstrations have begun taking over sports in the United States of America, with some of the most common acts being athletes kneeling as a sign of disrespect during the playing of the National Anthem, or wearing apparel that bears the phrase “Black Lives Matter.” The IOC did not elaborate as to what kinds of punishments players would face for violating the new rule, instead saying that consequences would be determined based on each individual case.