Scuffles as protesters in Tokyo say goodbye to Olympics with demo

Aug 09, 2021 | News On Japan

Aug 09, 2021 (Ruptly) - Police scuffled with protesters as they gathered in front of the Japanese Olympic Committee headquarters in Tokyo on Sunday to demonstrate against the Olympic Games, as the closing ceremony got underway.

The demonstrators protested against what they called 'forced holding' of the major sports event and asked for the abolition of the Olympics.

The Games took place from 23 July to 8 August 2021 after being postponed last year due to the pandemic. This is the first time that the Olympic Games were postponed and rescheduled, rather than cancelled.

Shortly before the start of the games, on July 8, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a state of emergency in Tokyo until August 22. This decision resulted in no spectators, not even local Japanese attendees, being able to watch the games in person in the Japanese capital.

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