Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Gwen Berry, More Athletes Ask IOC to Change Protest Policy
Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images for USOPC
Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Gwen Berry were part of a group of athletes, educators, activists and organizations who penned a letter to the International Olympic Committee asking it to forgo punishments for athletes who demonstrate at the Tokyo Olympics.
The IOC partially rolled back Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter, allowing participants to raise their fist or take a knee as long as it happened before an event begins.
Because those who demonstrate on the medal stand are still subject to punishment, the writers of Thursday’s letter remained critical of the IOC.
“While we appreciate the strides the IOC/IPC made in promoting athlete expression, we do not believe the changes made reflect a commitment to freedom of expression as a fundamental human right nor to racial and social justice in global sport,” the letter said.
Prior to amending their stance, Olympic officials defended Rule 50 by saying sporting events should be neutral and “must be separate from political, religious or any other type of interference.”
The letter writers countered that “neutrality is never neutral.” In addition, they argued sporting events and the organizations that run them are inevitably affected by wider issues such as structural inequality.
