TOKYO (KMOX) -- The International Olympic Committee has determined that there will be no acts of protest during the Olympic games in Tokyo.
As the Black Lives Matter movement and other protests regarding racial and social injustices continue to be front and center nationally and around the world, the Games committee is standing firm on an existing rule that bans forms of protest during the games.
The IOC's Rule 50 forbids all forms of "demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda" in all Olympic venues.
According to CBS Sports, IOC"s Athlete's Commission Chief Kirsty Coventry was charged with leading a review of the rule and concluded that it should remain.
"I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that. That is how I still feel today," Coventry said during an online presentation regarding Rule 50."
According to Coventry, most athletes they consulted with felt that there shouldn't be any form of protests within the Olympic Games.
In fact, 3,500 Olympic athletes were apparently polled on the subject of protesting at the Olympic Games and 70 percent of them said the did not want to see protests at the Games.
Coventry also confirmed that athletes will also be punished if they choose to kneel, raise a fist or any other form of protest. It is unclear what type of punishment they could face.
The Olympics were postponed last year due to the COVID pandemic but have been rescheduled for this year.
The Olympic games will begin on July 23 in Tokyo and end on August 8.
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