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Athletic protest is nothing new at the Olympic Games, as global Olympic participants have expressed their political beliefs through demonstration for decades.
With the controversial wars in Gaza and Ukraine, pressing matters of climate change, the recent wave of global elections and other pertinent issues seizing the cultural conversations, it’s very possible that Olympic athletes may choose to display some forms of protest during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The Independent‘s Chris Wilson added context for how protest has been used at the Olympic Games over the last few decades.
“Perhaps the most famous protest at the Olympic Games happened in 1968, when American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists while the US national anthem played during the 200-meters medals ceremony,” he wrote. “Both athletes were later sent home. More recently, US athlete Gwen Berry raised a fist and Race Imboden took a knee during the 2019 Pan-American Games, with both athletes eventually given a year-long probation.”
What are the rules for such protests at the 2024 Paris Olympics?
The Olympic Charter spells out pretty plainly what the expectations are for participants, and they are very much against any public display of protest on Olympic grounds.
“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,” Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter adopted in Oct. 2023 reads.
This also applies to any “form of publicity or propaganda, commercial or otherwise” that could appear on Olympic persons, sportswear or any other article of clothing or accessory worn by Olympic participants of all kinds.
Later in on the bye-law to Rule 50, the Olympic Charter states what happens if this bye-law is violated by any Olympic athlete.
“Any violation of this Bye-law 1 and the guidelines adopted hereunder may result in disqualification of the person or delegation concerned, or withdrawal of the accreditation of the person or delegation concerned, without prejudice to further measures and sanctions which may be pronounced by the IOC Executive Board or Session,” the Olympic Charter reads.
However, Rule 40 in the Olympic Charter does promote carefully defined “freedom of expression” for Olympic participants.
“All competitors, team officials or other team personnel in the Olympic Games shall enjoy freedom of expression in keeping with the Olympic values and the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and in accordance with the Guidelines determined by the IOC Executive Board,” the Olympic Charter reads.
If the rules support each other in any way, it’s that protests of any reason fall under Rule 50 for “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” and do not qualify for the Olympic Charter as permitted “freedom of expression” that keep within “Olympic values and Fundamental Principles of Olympism.”
Basically, athletes and other individuals have very, very stringent guidelines for what they can express while participating in the Olympics, and basically all forms of protest are barred by the International Olympic Committee.
