IOC shock after protester saying ‘f*** the Olympics’ crashes online press conference
- A man going by the name of David O’Brien, claiming to represent Yahoo, passes through vetting to display anti-Olympics banner
- IOC spokesman Mark Adams cuts off protester after a press conference in which he maintains the official line that the Olympics will go ahead
A man going by the name of David O’Brien and claiming to be from Yahoo was last up during question time at an IOC online press conference, which followed Wednesday’s board meeting. However, instead of asking a question, he held up a black banner with “X” signs and the words “Olympics in Tokyo” – most likely meaning “no Olympics in Tokyo” – while making the crude remark.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams, sitting in for President Thomas Bach, was taken aback before asking for the press conference to be ended.
When queried as to how the protester managed to pass vetting, the IOC press office responded: “This individual registered as a media representative of Yahoo.”
The IOC’s online conference platform calls for media to “raise a hand” when they want to ask a question. The request is passed through a moderator before being approved and their screen and audio is switched on to be able to ask a question.
The protester’s message did, however, reflect the overall theme of the press conference with most media questions seeking IOC views on whether the Tokyo Games will indeed start on July 23 despite a surge in Covid-19 cases and the Japanese government extending a state of emergency in Tokyo and greater Osaka until May 31.