Organizers appeal ruling allowing political demos at Games

Olympic organizers appealed against a Brazilian federal judge’s ruling on Tuesday that would allow spectators to display political banners inside Games’ venues, fuelling a debate over free speech in the bitterly divided South American country.

The federal judge in Rio de Janeiro issued the injunction late on Monday overruling a government ban on political slogans during the Aug. 5-21 Games, allowing “peaceful” demonstrations.

Judge Joao Augusto Carneiro Araújo issued the injunction following a request by federal prosecutors, who questioned the ban decided by the governments of Brazil and Rio state and the Rio 2016 organizing committee.

The prosecutors said the ban infringed constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression. Being a constitutional issue, an appeal against the injunction could end up in the Supreme Court.

A spokesman for the Rio 2016 organizing committee said it had received notification of the judicial order on Tuesday and had immediately asked the judge to reconsider but in the meantime would respect the ruling.

“We believe that sports venues are not the place for political, religious or racial protests,” Mario Andrada told a news conference, adding that the same issue had arisen during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and a ban on political banners had been upheld.

Brazil is hosting South America’s first Games amid a crisis that has opened deep political fissures in the nation of 200 million people.

Left-leaning President Dilma Rousseff was suspended from office in May and placed on trial in the Senate on charges of breaking budget laws, handing the reins of power to her deputy Michel Temer, who has steered the country to the right.

Rousseff has denied any wrongdoing and her supporters accuse the conservative Temer of staging an undemocratic “coup”.

The expulsion from Olympic venues of spectators carrying banners or shouting slogans against Temer stirred outcry on social media this week.

A video of security guards in red berets and camouflage gear surrounding a man holding a “Temer Out” banner and manhandling him from the stands of the archery event on Saturday prompted a barrage of criticism from Brazilians. “A gold medal for repression” tweeted several people.

A spokesman for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), however, has pointed out that the Olympic charter forbids political propaganda within venues, as well as any kind of religious or racial messages, as well as advertising of any sort.

“We hope that everyone understands at home and around the world that this is a global event and the Games should not become a platform for political debate,” said Mark Adams, IOC director of communications.