Tokyo Woke No Mo': IOC Bans BLM Apparel for Olympics
Over the course of the last several years, Americans have been inundated with the melding of sports and politics, as athletes from around the nation continue to express their political and cultural beliefs while on the job.
For many, this has been an annoyance and not an elevation of the game, as Americans continues to complain about their “escape” from the real world now being tainted with a whole lot of drama from the real world.
That won’t be the case in Tokyo, however, as the International Olympic Committee looks to put the kibosh on virtue signaling.
Olympics athletes will not be allowed to wear “Black Lives Matter” apparel during ceremonies at the upcoming Tokyo Olympic games, according to new rules posted by the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
The IOC revealed its newest policy changes last month, noting that no political demonstrations will be allowed on the field of play. And IOC officials have since confirmed that the rules also ban any use of Black Lives Matter imagery, logos, apparel, slogans, and activism, according to TMZ Sports.
The move came after the IOC polled the participating athletes on the subject.
The IOC claimed that its prohibitions on athlete activism came after a poll found that a “majority” of the 3,500 athletes polled favored the ban.
Advertisement - story continues below“A very clear majority of athletes said that 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,” said IOC Athletes’ Commission chief Kirsty Coventry.
“So our recommendation is to preserve the podium, field of play, and official ceremonies from any kind of protest or demonstrations or acts perceived as such,” Coventry added.
Given the high profile nature of the IOC’s stance, it will be interesting to see just how many athletes attempt to circumvent the ban to make headlines.
