Fact check: Has Japan has banned all Black Lives Matter apparel from the Olympics?
Ahead of this year's Olympics, scheduled to begin July 23, a Facebook post claims Japan has prohibited athletes from making any political expression during the Tokyo Summer Games, including wearing clothing that says "Black Lives Matter."
Posted — UpdatedProtests by athletes during sporting events have long been a point of contention in the public eye; some detractors say athletes should stick to sports, while supporters say they should be able to use their platform to spread awareness of an issue.
Ahead of this year’s Olympics, scheduled to begin July 23, a Facebook post claims Japan has prohibited athletes from making any political expression during the Tokyo Summer Games, including wearing clothing that says "Black Lives Matter."
"Japan has banned all BLM apparel from the Olympics," the June 20 post reads. "No one can kneel or raise fists during the anthems either. I'm proud of Japan."
The post is wrong in that it isn’t up to the host country to set what rules athletes have to follow while participating in the games. Instead, that’s the responsibility of the International Olympic Committee.
Examples of prohibited expressions include displaying any form of political messaging on a person’s attire and making any gesture that could be seen as political, such as kneeling or a raised fist.
The IOC did not respond to PolitiFact’s request for comment regarding Black Lives Matter apparel at the Olympics.
Political expression at past Olympic events
The IOC at the time called their display "a deliberate and violent breach of the fundamental principles of the Olympic spirit" and expelled Carlos and Smith from the games.
Update
- "In the mixed zones, including when speaking to the media
- In the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) or the Main Media Centre (MMC), including when speaking to the media
- During press conferences in the venue or in the MMC
- During interviews
- At team meetings
- In traditional media or digital media
- Through social media channels
- On the field of play prior to the start of the competition (i.e. after leaving the “call room” (or similar area) or during the introduction of the individual athlete or team)."
Olympic rules still require the athletes to express their views in accordance with existing guidelines. For example, the rules still forbid athletes from expressing their views during another team's introduction, or during another country's national anthem. Also, the demonstration must not be "targeted, directly or indirectly, against people, countries, organisations and/or their dignity."
PolitiFact ruling
A Facebook post claims, "Japan has banned all (Black Lives Matter) apparel from the Olympics. No one can kneel or raise fists during the anthems either."
The post is partly accurate.
The IOC, not a host country, sets the rules athletes have to follow.
Apparel that says Black Lives Matter may be seen as a form of political expression, and Olympic officials for decades have had a rule prohibiting any form of political expression. Kneeling or raising a fist are forms of prohibited political expression. The IOC’s rule does not specifically target Black Lives Matter, or any one ideology or movement.
We rate the post Half True.
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