Athletes are banned from wearing “Black Lives Matter” clothing or apparel at the postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The International Olympic Committee plans to enforce Rule 50 that restricts athletes from supporting political or social justice messages during competition.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the IOC’s rules against slogans with a political or social justice meaning are “granular” this year. The committee has specifically banned apparel bearing the phrase “Black Lives Matter.”
Athletes will be able to instead wear apparel with more “generic words,” like “peace,” “respect,” “solidarity,” “inclusion,” and “equality,” according to the report.
The announcement follows the IOC’s announcement in April that it plans to enforce Rule 50 against those who take a kneel to protest the National Anthem. The committee has not stated what type of punishment would be given to those who break the policy.
Tokyo may stand as the true test regarding whether America’s top athletes care more about competing for their country or supporting the BLM movement. The ruling stands in contrast with America’s professional sports leagues that have allowed players and coaches freedom to choose a variety of protests.
The U.S. women’s soccer team may provide the strongest barrier to Rule 50. Team members have previously practiced the tradition of kneeling before the National Anthem, leading to support from the left and frustration from patriotic Americans.
The move also contrast the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) response to social justice issues. On Apr. 1, the USOPC announced it would allow athletes to kneel during the National Anthem and raise their fists at Olympic trials, according to CBS News.
Still banned, according to a report from USA Today, are “hate symbols, as defined by the Anti-Defamation League, and actions that would impede others from competing, such as laying down in the middle of the track.”
As the nation continues to recover from the global COVID-19 pandemic and confronts the leftist policy issues of the Biden administration, the Tokyo Summer Games offer the potential for a ray of hope for American unity. Unity has failed in government, but sports offers a new venue to bring people together in global competition.
Conservative Americans pray a handful of woke athletes won’t ruin it for everyone else. We embrace the nation’s freedoms, but can we expect a little more when our nation’s athletes appear at the opening ceremony and compete with the world?
If so, perhaps it will be a bold move for the nation. If athletes choose to oppose Rule 50 and display BLM logos or kneel in protest, a few competitors could ruin the games for the nation.
Instead of looking at social justice issues to unite the country, let’s look at the flag and the freedoms it represents to give our nation hope. Let’s not let another area of life be taken over by progressive politics. Let’s show the world our best, settling matters on the field and the court instead of bowing or protesting with our politics.
BLM Apparel should be outlawed
Perioud!! In my book all life’s matter not just black, white, brown, or red. Why is it that BLM thinks only black lives matters?
When Protesting I see all colors marching, looting, burning down the very City’s that the one’s Protesting live in, what the HELL
Someone please explain the logic in that to me please!! Do they not under stand that they’re Burning Down their Future and the next generations Future?
So I agree with official’s to Band BLM apparel from the games.
This has nothing to do with black lives. BLM is a Marxist organization, they could care less about any lives.
Agree
Also agree. Thank you IOC
KNEELING DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN RULE 50!!!!!
They ride the backs of the ones who love America and stood proud. Why are they allowed to preform on Her stage. They as the disrespectful athletes who play for a living as these players take advantage of Her allowing them to “play” grow up or move to a country you trying to turn America to. Y’all are the racist ones. You do not stand for me I pray for your dark souls.
black lies matter, doncha know.
Exactly. If black lives mattered to the blacks of BLM there wouldn’t be a disproportionate percentage of black on black killings. nor black on white for that matter or black on anyone.
Especially when black on black killings are so much higher than any other group. Their scam is nothing more than Black Lies Matter. If they wanted it to stop they’d do a better job of parenting.
Agree 100%
DON — you hit the nail on the head a more perfect response could not be stated!
They have babies to collect checks and foodstamps!
I certainly agree with the ban. What in the world are these people thinking!! Guess they are not!! In God we trust, He is the only way!!
Not to mention BLM doesn’t even care about all black lives. Only black lives that are useful to them. They support Planned Parenthood and side with white rioters who kill black police officers.
Amen, BLM is a Terrorist Group
Ask Planned Parenthood how much black lives matter !!!
I fully agree. There should be any politics in sports and especially olympic competitions. Violations should have severe consequences. Removal from competitions and records deleted. It appears we cannot clean up politics so let at least keep sporting events clean.
Correction in above. SHOULD NOT BE ANY POLITICS IN SPORTING EVENTS ESPECIALLY IN THE OLYMPICS..
Agree 100%
They don’t want equality or inclusion, as they say. Hate is what drives them. All they want is a reason to destroy stuff. They are godless and full of hate.
Amen!!!!
BLM is a Terrorist Org. and deserve Gitmo.
I disagree BLM apparel can be used to clean windows,wipe grease off your hands and even clean commodes
BLM SHOULD BE BANNED FROM EVERYTHING!!! THEY ARE A BUNCH OF ANARCHISTS AND A DETRIMENT TO THE U.S!!!!!
I know I will be called a screaming racist for writing this, BUT, Black Lives Matter is the BLACK version of the KKK!
BLM is much worse than the Klan ever was.
You are 1000% correct.
If any group takes a knee or wears the outlawed garments disqualify them and send them home. It’s simple they conform or are ousted.
Participating in the Olympics is a privilege. Abide by the rules or be disqualified from competition.
I agree. It’s time to stand up to these criminal protesters. I don’t know why they even compete for America since they hate America. I hope the Olympic rules get carried out with no problems thank you for setting these rules so we the ppl can finally go back to watching some sports. Now if only you would all ban the kneeling for the Anthem.
Agree whole heartedly
It’s as it should be! Protests and politics have no place in ANY sporting event. Politicians ned to mind their own business. This is sports not an election.
BLM is a terrorist organization. How can it not be? Con lot of business out of money to purchase 4 Mansion!!!! In upper class RICH WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD! Not a penny to those smaller organization that form to help!!! So fool who is your worst enemy? First you don’t hear anything in the media about black on black killing, or what these democrats has been doing to destroy black family since 1968! Everything was getting better til OBAMA AND THE LEFTIST MEDIA USE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN.
Pawns. And usual suspects. It’s so they can blame the community for their misdeeds. Deflection and making it racial are their tools. Defund them.
Politics should not enter ANY sports arena! People pay to watch a sporting event, not the racist political beliefs of the players. No one has ever paid money to go watch a protest or the anarchist destruction of businesses. Athletes who waste spectators time by protesting at sporting events are also stealing the money they paid for admission. It’s theft! If they want to disrupt the games by laying down on the track, I suggest they do it during NASCAR events.
Way to go IOC….as for the “American” women’s soccer team they can play for any communist country they want because they do not represent real Americans
This should be banned everywhere. Thank you for having the courage to do so. Hope it’s a great Olympics. I will be watching. I love all those kids that have worked so hard to get there. Have a great one.
Finally, a sports committee with common sense and decency. The IOC has my respect.
Seven years ago or so I was impressed with Megan Rapino ( women’s soccer team captain ) and had the respect from this individual that matched no others. I loved to see this woman play soccer as her abilities on the field and her attitude seemed next to none. Then of course the evil Trump administration came along, and now Megan had something to say.
It’s hard to watch somebody you admire take a knee while our nat’l anthem is playing and feel the same way about them as you once did.
So I’m going to give this woman another shot at respectability here, and I pray that if the women’s soccer team earns a medal in this Olympics, that she and her teammates remain civil and unbiased throughout the whole ceremony of media coverage and the medal presentation.
Megan, if you read this, then know this. This country is pushing hard for you to go gold. Please don’t make an ass of yourself or ask any of your teammates to make asses of themselves either. You, and your team are much bigger than that, I’m supporting the IOC banning this type of behavior from the Olympics.
There is no place for political rhetoric in sports.
Wow! The IOC finally got something right! The Bolshevik Lies Matter movement needs to be put in its place just like this! Now, the rest of a free world needs to follow the IOC’s example!
The only Black lives that matter is the Good ones, who are in this Country and making a Living the Honest Way. You Lazy Blacks and Whites, lives does not matter to anyone except God.
Way to go IOC!!!!!!
I have pretty much given up watching sports and have no intention of watching the Olympics. This decision is a step in the right direction. However, it still remains to be seen if the rule is enforced and enforced in a way that actually deters such displays. There is a time and place for everything. Want to be an activist? Great. Passionate about an issue? Great. Care about political issues? Great. Activist all you want off the field and out of the arena (or stage, in the case of actors and musicians). But if you choose to represent your country at the olympics, or choose to play sports in front of the general public, than you must show respect for your country and the fans you entertain on the feild, or when representing these things off the field. Keep your activism separate. If you can’t do that, YOU made the wrong choice.
Why not ban blacks
LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Blacks murder each other by the dozen every day in the streets of Chicago and elsewhere yet BLM says it’s concerned about “black lives”? LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What a stinking Gimme Money JOKE that is! If blacks actually buy this “message” from BLM then perhaps they ought to round them all up in one place, toss in guns and ammo and let the few survivors keep Chicago.
They’ll just find a new way to continue spreading their hatred for themselves with some new sign at the Olympics. Perhaps a double middle finger. It fits the BARBARIC throwback mentality many of them live by today.
Drugs and Free Stuff, the grand desire of a people who for centuries delighted in selling EACH OTHER into slavery for PROFIT!
I’ve NEVER been a racist in my entire life, but after years of seeing this kind of thing just get worse and worse ……..
instead of rioting spend the time at a job and raising a family like you should then black lives will matter and of coarse obey the law
Thank You AOC !!!