Yahoo Lifestyle Megan Rapinoe criticizes Olympics for banning protests: 'We will not be silenced'
Unites States Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe isn’t a big fan of the Olympics’ latest policy. On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) released rules regarding how athletes will be allowed to protest in 2020.
Those rules include no kneeling, political hand gestures or disrespect during medal ceremonies. The protest ban doesn’t stop there, though. Olympic athletes cannot protest in any way on the field of play or in the Olympic Village.
The 34-year-old Rapinoe isn’t on board with that. On Friday, Rapinoe posted her displeasure on Instagram, saying athletes “will not be silenced.”
Megan Rapinoe’s reaction to IOC trying to avoid politics at the Olympics. #USWNT pic.twitter.com/nKRM9wd3Jb
— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) January 10, 2020
Rapinoe made waves during the World Cup for silently protesting during the national anthem. Rapinoe had been protesting during the anthem for years, but the issue gained more attention during the World Cup. President Donald Trump disagreed with Rapinoe’s form of protest, and that kicked off a lengthy back-and-forth between the two.
Given that, it shouldn’t come as a major surprise Rapinoe is disappointed with the IOC’s ruling. From the sound of it, she’s not going to sit back and quietly accept the committee’s ruling. And, as a probable member of the U.S. women’s team that will compete in Tokyo, she will possibly get an opportunity to show the IOC what she thinks of their policy firsthand.
She might not be the only Olympic athlete who feels that way, either.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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