Skip to main content

Megan Rapinoe on Olympics Protest Ban, “We Will Not Be Silenced.”

The soccer star reacts to the new Olympic committee ruling.

Megan Rapinoe celebrates a goal with open arms.

Megan Rapinoe issued a statement in response to the Olympic Committee’s new ruling that bars athletes from making any political gestures at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The soccer star was responding to Rule 50, which prohibits kneeling, raising a fist, or any other protest while the athletes are on the world’s stage. Rapinoe responded via Instagram, saying “So much being done about the protests. So little being done about what we are protesting about. We will not be silenced.”

Recommended Videos
megan rapinoe instagram

(image: Megan Rapinoe/Instagram)

The IOC Athletes’ Commission introduced Rule 50 on Thursday, which “provides a framework to protect the neutrality of sport and the Olympic Games. It states that, “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

The International Olympic Committee released a statement saying, “It is important, on both a personal and a global level, that we keep the venues, the Olympic Village and the podium neutral and free from any form of political, religious or ethnic demonstrations.”

This comes after two athletes, hammer thrower Gwen Berry and fencer Race Imboden, were placed on probation for a year after protesting during the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Imboden kneeled on the stage in protest of President Trump, as well as racism, gun control, and the treatment of immigrants.

Berry, who raised a fist during the medal ceremony to protest “extreme injustice”. Berry criticized the new rule in an interview with Yahoo Sports saying, “It is a form of control … It’s kind of like silencing us at the biggest moments of our lives. Which … I really don’t agree with it.”

“We sacrifice for something for four years, and we’re at our highest moment,” Berry elaborated. “We should be able to say whatever we want to say, do whatever we have to do – for our brand, our culture, the people who support us, the countries that support us, [everything]. We shouldn’t be silenced. It definitely is a form of control.”

(via HuffPost, image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!

The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Author
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

Filed Under:

Follow The Mary Sue: