Many people in Japan are unhappy that their nation is hosting the Olympics with the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, and that resulted in protests taking place outside the Opening Ceremony on Friday.
The Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games was held at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Friday evening. Outside the stadium, hundreds of people gathered for a march during which they chanted things like, “Go to hell, Olympics!” You can see some videos below.
The protesters held flags and signs that featured messages blaming the IOC and Tokyo officials for potentially contributing to the spread of COVID-19. The signs featured messages such as “Lives Over Olympics.”
However, there were also many people who looked like they wished they could have been inside the largely vacant National Stadium. Hundreds of other people gathered to see if they could catch a glimpse of the Opening Ceremony.
Events at the Tokyo Olympics are being held without spectators, which has been a polarizing issue. Some high-profile athletes have had to withdraw due to COVID-19 protocols.
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