Crippen’s Blog
Disabled people race to protest about ATOS
By Dave Lupton (Crippen) 10 August 2012
I found this article in the Guardian archives which may have some relevance to the forthcoming Paralympics and the proposed ATOS protests.
Back in 2008 the British Olympic Association (BOA) said it would review its athletes’ contract for the Beijing Games after criticism of a clause which had prevented competitors from making political statements in China.
The clause, which appeared to go beyond the requirements of the Olympic charter, will be softened although athletes who engage in overt political demonstrations or statements could still risk being sent home.
Simon Clegg, the BOA’s chief executive, said: “I accept that the interpretation of one part of the draft BOA team members’ agreement appears to have gone beyond the provision of the Olympic charter; this is not our intention, nor is it our desire to restrict athletes’ freedom of speech …”
“This clause is intended to stop overt statements such as wearing a Free Tibet shirt,” said a BOA spokesman.
The games have long provided a political stage, from the Nazis’ appropriation of the 1936 games to Tommie Smith’s Human Right’s salute in Mexico in 1968.
The then shadow culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said Britain’s athletes should be allowed to “say what they want”. The Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, said: “[It is] our moral responsibility to push for human rights wherever they are being abused.”
I understand that this clause still stands, which means that any disabled athlete joining in the ATOS protests may face censure.
But think of the publicity that this would generate for the cause of Human Rights for disabled people in this country. Worth a slap on the wrist I would have thought.
No?
I didn’t think so!
You can read the full Guardian article by clicking here
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One response
you have to face the fact that these disabled athletes are the ‘elite’ – bought and paid for (using OUR MONEY) by the political class for their own benefit. I mean look how good it is for politicians to be ‘supporting’ disabled people doing sport!!!!! I wonder if Cameron will be as regular a visitor to these Games as he has been to the ‘proper Games’??? Somehow I doubt it.
So the athletes won’t say anything, they’ll enjoy their ‘glory’ and quietly disappear until Rio. Whilst Cameron will continue to illegally abuse disabled people for ‘his pleasure’ his ‘sport’.