[KnowItAll]

From Print Story: Beijing tells spectators to leave banners at home on Yahoo! News

Beijing has advised spectators coming to next month's Olympics to leave their banners at home, even if they do not contravene rules forbidding the airing of political or religious views at venues.

Beijing authorities have long been concerned that its citizens will take some of the gloss off the August 8-24 Games through bad manners and on Monday released its "Spectators House Rules" along with a "Good Habit for a Good Games" campaign.

The rules, which Beijing organisers said were "virtually the same as for the Athens and Sydney Olympics", ban banners and flags larger than two metres by one metre although officials said they would prefer that even smaller signs were not displayed.

"We advise that you do not bring banners of any kind to the Games because we must create a fair play environment for the athletes from all countries," Huang Keying, deputy director of spectator services division at the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a news conference.

"The kind of banner with "Go China!" on it would be unfair for athletes from other countries."

The Olympic charter bans "any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda ... in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas".

[DanielandHayley]

Can we take from this, that any form of cheering, clapping or even partisan thoughts are also forbidden?! How about the medals table, perhaps it will be unfair/demoralising to atheletes whose countries fall behind in the rankings...

For want of a more literary creative phrase, ... For f***s sake...

[Claire ex-ax]

Instead of reams of rules, dos and don'ts, visa restrictions, etc., why doesn't the Chinese government just make its message even plainer and simpler: No f**king foreigners at OUR games.

[DanielandHayley]

Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax

Instead of reams of rules, dos and don'ts, visa restrictions, etc., why doesn't the Chinese government just make its message even plainer and simpler: No f**king foreigners at OUR games.

exaclty! i'm half expecting to see tv footage cut at the point where it becomes apparent that a Chinese athlete isn't going win the said event...

[KnowItAll]

Don't you folks agree with the basic principle that a country does have the right to allow or prevent people from entering?

Far worse problems in the world than not getting to watch the Olympics.

My Way News - Ex-Prosecutor says he was put on terror watch list

What is worse?

[lulumay]

Originally Posted by Claire ex-ax

Instead of reams of rules, dos and don'ts, visa restrictions, etc., why doesn't the Chinese government just make its message even plainer and simpler: No f**king foreigners at OUR games.

They did, wasn't obvious: Beijing's official Olympic motto, “One World, One Dream, One Country"

[DanielandHayley]

Originally Posted by KnowItAll

Don't you folks agree with the basic principle that a country does have the right to allow or prevent people from entering?

Far worse problems in the world than not getting to watch the Olympics.



What is worse?

Yes, but there should be some concession when hosting such a major international event (and all the benefits that come withit) that you open up, embrace the spirit of the games etc etc etc...rather than make it as difficult as possible. Russia even managed to show the world that they can be flexible with the visa issues around the Champions League final this year..

You're right though, there are far more important things and I will try, albeit in vain no doubt, to avoid the olympics as much as possible...just out of principal/spite

[FilipH]

another funny rule as mentioned on BBC world yesterday : people will similar logos on their Tshirts are not allowed to sit together as this would constitute unofficial advertising

[kombuchakid]

Originally Posted by KnowItAll

Don't you folks agree with the basic principle that a country does have the right to allow or prevent people from entering?

As far as I know China is the only country to prevent it's own nationals from entering China- a whole bunch of 'democrats' for example.

If I see that 'the world's equine capital' you know the one where the earthworm turns into a diseased serpent-if I see that infomercial more then 32 times today- I will go to the horse ballet in my Nike headband, Falun Gong tee shirt and Adidas tutu .

[emmie]

Originally Posted by kombuchakid

As far as I know China is the only country to prevent it's own nationals from entering China- a whole bunch of 'democrats' for example.

Hm, yeah, video-blog soundbites of their "home-coming" trip "up there" made intriguing viewing on local stations last week, given the context and all the lingering (back-/foreground) irony...

If I see that 'the world's equine capital' you know the one where the earthworm turns into a diseased serpent-if I see that infomercial more then 32 times today- I will go to the horse ballet in my Nike headband, Falun Gong tee shirt and Adidas tutu .

KK... You a man of ya word?!
Coz catching glimpse of you in ANY tutu* would top watching anything "olympic"


*Minus the tights & other like modest leggings.