A group of 150 human rights groups and Olympians has penned an open letter on the eve of the Tokyo Games to the International Olympic Committee, calling on the bloc to allow athletes to perform protests on the podium.
In a five-page letter, the signatories urged reform of Rule 50 in the Olympic Charter and a similar rule governing the Paralympics, which has long banned political protest on Olympic sites.
The letter's signatories include the Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW and former US sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who were expelled from the Olympic Stadium in 1968 after raising their fists on the podium in a moment that has become iconic.
"The rules systemically target athletes from minoritised and marginalised communities who often view their time in the Olympic and Paralympic spotlight as a platform to call attention to injustices faced in their home countries and globally," the letter reads.
Tommie Smith (centre) and John Carlos (right) at the 1968 Olympics. Source: AAP
"A commitment to human dignity must provide a magnifying glass to athletes calling attention to instances where that dignity is being stripped away."
In recent weeks, the IOC has amended Rule 50 to allow for some protests "prior to the start of competition", though sanctions are still threatened for those made on the podium.
Athletes also face sanctions if their gesture is disruptive or “targeted, directly or indirectly, against people, countries and organisations.”
The letters' signatories are urging the IOC to refrain from sanctioning athletes protesting "in accordance with internationally-recognised human rights frameworks"
"These frameworks protect protests in support of racial and social justice. They do not protect hate speech or protests/demonstrations discriminatory in nature."
Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter is aimed at providing a "protection of the neutrality of sport at the Olympic Games and the neutrality of the Games themselves".
The signatories said they rejected the idea the Olympics should remain politically neutral.
"Neutrality is never neutral ... Staying neutral means staying silent, and staying silent means supporting ongoing injustice," they said.
IOC President Thomas Bach said earlier this month political protest could encourage division, when the Games should be promoting unity.
"The podium and the medal ceremonies are not made ... for a political or other demonstration," he told the .
"They are made to honour the athletes and the medal winners for sporting achievement and not for their private (views)."
Five women's football teams - Britain, Chile, the US, Sweden and New Zealand - have already taken a knee in protest against racism before matches at the Tokyo Games.
The Matilda's pose for a team photo with the Aboriginal flag prior to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games first round football match against New Zealand. Source: AFP via Getty Images
"For us, it feels right to stand up for human rights," Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt said. "It feels good to do that. It is something we stand for as a team."
The Australian women's football team, the Matildas, earlier this week.
Matildas midfielder Tameka Yallop said the team feels strongly about speaking out against racism.
"We are obviously in support of no racism," she said.
"We definitely wanted to take a stand and show our support of that, and we also wanted to represent not just [Aboriginal players] within our team, but [all] Indigenous Australians."
