IOC’s RULE 50

About:

• The decision, taken on the back of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) Rule 50, has triggered a fresh round of debate over athletes’ right to expression.
  
  
• The IOC’s Rule 50 forbids any kind of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” at venues and any other Olympic area.
  
  
• However, following the death of George Floyd in the USA last May, which triggered anti-racism protests and gave a boost to the Black Lives Matter movement, the Olympic body came under pressure to relax the rule so that athletes could express themselves freely during the Games.
  
  
• Subsequently, the IOC’s Athletes Commission started a consultation process in June last year, took views from 3,547 athletes before last week, it was recommended that the rule should be maintained.