The British women’s football team knelt on one knee before the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games against Chile. This is the first Olympic protest that emphasizes racial injustice.

Before each match of the English men’s football in the 2020 European Cup this summer, the women’s football has previously confirmed that they will kneel on one knee before the Tokyo game.

In response, the Chilean players also bowed their knees at the Sapporo Dome in the Japanese capital. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the arena played without fans.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed that the rules against protests at the Olympics this year will be relaxed, allowing athletes to “express their opinions” before and after the competition, but not during the competition, during ceremonies or in the Olympic village.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

On July 21, 2021, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, the British and Chilean teams posed for a group photo before the women’s first round of Group E competition.
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