Athletes can protest at 2022 Commonwealth Games

Athletes will be able to protest against social injustice at this summer’s Commonwealth Games.

Competitors at Birmingham 2022 will be able to raise a fist to protest in favour of racial equality and wave Pride flags in support of LGBT+ rights.

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The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will support athletes who want to highlight issues such as race, sexual orientation and social injustice.

This contrasts with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ‘Rule 50’.

‘Rule 50’ of the Olympic charter aims to stop protests and demonstrations in order to “protect the neutrality of sport and the Olympic Games”, however it was relaxed for Tokyo 2020.

The CGF has released ‘Athlete Advocacy Guiding Principles’ for the Commonwealth Games which will permit athletes to protest on the podium by making “positive expressions of their values”.

“It is the belief of the CGF that athlete advocacy and activism humanises, rather than politicises, sport,” CGF President Dame Louise Martin said.

The Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham between July 28 and August 8.