Trigger Warning: This article contains discussions of political conflict in the U.S. and Palestine as well as historical references to Nazism and antisemitism and may be distressing for some readers.
Olympic protesters are raising valid critiques in Milan, but it doesn’t make the games any less important.
In opposition to the environmental and social cost of the Olympics, protesters set off flares and smoke bombs, as well as cutting train cables near Milan’s Olympic village. While the Olympics are an important social and cultural event—bringing countries together to celebrate their love of sport—acknowledging its consequences is well within the rights of the protesters, as long as they remain peaceful.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the protesters on Facebook as “enemies of Italy and Italians,” a response far too harsh, mitigating the protesters’ right to express dissatisfaction with the status quo.
The Olympics have long been associated with environmental degradation, and extreme volumes of waste. The 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing saw the removal of over 20,000 trees for mountain infrastructure, while the 2016 Olympics in Rio generated over 17,000 tons of waste, equivalent to the annual waste generation of over 20,000 homes in the U.S.
Beyond the environment, the Olympics have long been concerningly apolitical. The 1936 Olympics were hosted by Nazi Germany, essentially functioning as a propaganda event for Adolf Hitler’s antisemitic and expansionist agenda. While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has taken a stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, banning Russia and Belarus from participation, it has remained silent on the conflict in Gaza, and the U.S.’s financial backing of Israel.
The recent protests were partially related to Isreal’s participation in the games, advocates urging the IOC to take a stance. Given the history of the Olympics functioning as a tool of nationalist propaganda, the protesters were rightfully concerned about the countries allowed to compete in this year’s games.
The protests were also related to the presence of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Italy. Allegedly to protect a U.S. delegation, the protesters were justifiably apprehensive of the ICE presence, considering the recent shootings in Minneapolis and the organization’s increasing militancy following the violent raids in Los Angeles last June.
While the Olympics alone aren’t directly responsible for ICE, the conflict in Palestine, or global warming, you can’t blame the protesters for bringing attention to these concerns via the event at the forefront of the cultural zeitgeist.
The Olympics are no stranger to political demonstrations, dating back to an Irish Nationalist demonstration in 1906, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos’s famous Black Power salute on the podium in 1968. In Paris in 2024, the audience booed and shouted “free Palestine” during an Israeli soccer game.
The Olympics captures the hearts of over five billion people once every four years—it’s important to shed light on injustices that often go unspoken. You can enjoy the Olympics while simultaneously understanding the validity of the recent protests. The protesters should be able to highlight the flaws behind the Olympics without drawing widespread condemnation.
While the Olympics offer countries the opportunity to come together in celebration of athletic excellence, they shouldn’t be separated from the environmental and social realities they leave behind.
—Journal Editorial Board
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