Hundreds of protesters marched through Tokyo on Friday toward the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games — chanting for organizers to “go to hell” for holding the event despite the pandemic, videos show.
Just an hour before the Games started, a mass of people had gathered in Harajuku, the main shopping district in Tokyo, with police shutting down a major roadway as the marchers set off, the Washington Post said.
“Go to hell, Olympics!” the group chanted as it marched toward the National Stadium, where the public was locked out of the opening ceremony because of COVID-19 fears.
“Go to hell, IOC,” the marchers also chanted, referring to the International Olympic Committee, according to the Washington Post’s video.
The protesters chanted and waved flags and signs blaming the IOC and Tokyo 2020 officials for potentially spreading the coronavirus by allowing foreigners into the country for the global event, the outlet said.
Many wore white surgical masks and carried placards that read “Lives Over Olympics.”
Protesters stage a rally outside the National Stadium before the opening ceremony. Sebastian Gollnow/picture-alliance
Protesters gather outside the National Stadium in Tokyo before the Olympics opening ceremony starts on July 23, 2021. Shuji Kajiyama/AP
Police blocked the group from entering the Olympic Stadium. Shuji Kajiyama/APThe chants were so loud, they were audible inside the stadium when the music was cut for a moment of silence for those who had died of COVID, the Associated Press said.
“It’s unbelievable that the Olympics are happening in this pandemic situation,” protester Kumiko Sudo, 50, told the Washington Post while holding a makeshift Olympic torch converted with anti-Olympic stickers.
There has also been widespread anger that the usual watching public is being kept from the events that are usually packed with spectators from around the world.
Inside the stadium as fireworks go off and performers dance during the opening ceremonies of the Tokyo Olympics. Dylan Martinez/Pool/Getty Images
A mass of people gathered in Harajuku, the main shopping district in Tokyo, to protest. Kyodo News via AP
Anti-Olympics protesters hold signs during a rally near the Tokyo metropolitan government complex where the final Olympic torch relay event took place on July 23, 2021. Kantaro Komiya/APFewer than 1,000 VIP guests were invited to the event — but large crowds still gathered outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the ceremonies, the outlet noted.
Only a third of the nation has had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries that the Games could become a superspreader event. More than 100 people involved with the Olympics have already tested positive.
With Post wires
