Holding the games during the pandemic. Despite widespread opposition in Japan polls show at least seventy percent of the population wanted the games cancelled or postponed as Cove Cases surge at least a hundred ten people linked to the games, have tested positive for kovats so far. The opening ceremony is being held in Tokyo's national Stadium, but the eight thousand seat Arena built for this purpose is largely empty. Fewer than 1,000. VIP guests have been invited to attend. Spectator may have also been barred from sporting events throughout the games. The 2020 Olympic games were originally scheduled to take place a year ago but were postponed due to them. And emack we go now directly to the protest, just outside Tokyo's national Stadium, where we're joined by satoko, itani associate professor of sports gender and sexuality at Kansai University. Attorney welcome back to democracy. Now, can you start by just setting the scene for us, describe where you are and what these protoss? Are about 6 a.m., and the bar. This is Connie. We're going to come back to you. We're having trouble hearing you because of the chance and the protest right behind you. So as you relocate yourself, we're going to go right now to Jules boycott. Author of four books on the Olympics off. Which played for the US Olympic soccer team from 1989 to 91 his latest piece for the nation with Dave. Zirin is headlined. The human cost of the pandemic, Olympics LA Times opinion, piece this week is headlined Tokyo's, Olympics, have turned nightmarish, L A, are you watching? So we'll talk about the future games in LA. But I mean, what's Happening Here is truly astounding Jewels. You have Japan itself even the leadership opposed including the prime minister to these Olympics and yet you have them now understand is this large multinational corporation the international Olympic Committee that actually can control what prime ministers and governments do and allowed happen. And they required that these Olympics continued even if the stadiums are empty That's exactly right. What we're witnessing right now. Play out in Tokyo is unparalleled in the political history of the Olympics and you're pointing the finger in the right direction. When we think about the international Olympic Committee, The Saga in Tokyo has exposed an international Olympic Committee. That openly disrespects the will of locals that brushes off inconvenient facts from experts like medical experts. Have long been saying these games are a terrible idea and the ioc tends to prioritize its profits over all else. Meanwhile the neat, the Olympics tend to sneak app democracy undercut democracy in ways that you described with the very prime minister essentially reduced to a contractual supplicant of the international Olympic Committee with no power to decide not to cancel or not. And you're seeing also that everything is very vulnerable to things like covid-19 and also I think climate change. So when the international Olympic Committee arrives in dog, The city. It's this pair of State type organization but we've seen time and time again. And now in Technicolor in Tokyo, is that it's also a parasite on the host City home. So explain all that has taken place. I mean, first of all, people might be surprised. These are even called Olympics 2020 when it's twenty Twenty-One thousand and all the skirmishes until this point. I mean this week, the head of the Tokyo Olympics committee, said at any moment, we can cancel these but in fact that's not true, right? That's correct. And Tokyo twenty-twenty has actually been a Cascade of calamities from the beginning. If we go back to 2013, when Tokyo was initially awarded the games by the international Olympic Committee. Then prime minister Shinzo Abbey student front of the international Olympic Committee and said that in Fukushima things were under control business, part of the Dead lie. That's the foundation of the Tokyo Olympics. If you are a self-respecting biologist or scientist in Fukushima at that time, in 2013, you knew things were very much not under control after the triple whammy earthquake tsunami and nuclear meltdown of March, 2011 was still playing out in the prefecture. So that was the first Slide. The second lie is that they started. All these Olympics, the quote unquote, recovery games arguing that by hosting the Olympics. It would actually help Fukushima and the other affected regions recover from the triple whammy disaster wage. Well, when Dave zirin, I went to Fukushima in July 2019 and we talked to journalists, we talked to elected officials, we talked to people on the ground and Fukushima. They said that back covering games Mantra was absolutely annoying. And in fact offensive to them because they told us how the cranes and other items that would help them recover in Fukushima, were actually being transferred to track and even since then, it's just been one debacle after the another the cost of the Tokyo Olympics. For example, have skyrocketed in the bid documents, it was supposed to cost 7.3 billion dollars today, it stands closer to Thirty billion dollars about more than four times the original price tag. You've also got the militarisation of the public sphere. If you look at the Olympics staged or the activists are coming to us from today, it looks like some sort of demilitarized zone with huge fences that prevent everyday people from getting even close to the stadium. And so what we've seen in Tokyo Is on the lot of ways, a nice example, powerful example and you know of what happens with the Olympics when political Elites have them come to your city, it disrupts everything, our long-term problems, that come with it. So we're going to talk about some of the amazing athletes, some who have pulled out. But before we do that, we're going to try satoko, itani again, this song Beauty and power and, you know, who knows what happens? Nature of live television, but satoko itani, you are right at the protest outside. The Olympic Stadium built for over, seventy thousand people. But it will be a fraction of that less than a thousand will be inside, including the first lady of the United States doctor, Joe, Biden off. But talk about, why so many are where you are outside protesting these Olympics. We didn't hear what you said. The first time though we did hear the chance. Hi. Amy. Sorry about that. I hope you can hear me now. Better perfectly. All right. So the people have been frustrated actually ever since the awarding of the Olympics in 2013 off because he was only two and half years after the disaster. And since then with the neoliberal policies, people's lives are getting harder and harder and when it comes to the Olympics, it seemed like there are endless of little money that they can pour into. But also like the past years is the beginning of the pandemic, we are told to not go outside, the restaurants that. Close we are told that we cannot get PC all testing because it results in the false positive to that are not good for controlling the virus. And but in the end, when you look at the Olympics when she gets are coming into Japan, and many of them are not even stay in the protocol. Following through the current King rules, even the Thomas. He's dead. Hiroshima, only three days. Right over the quarantine. And the hibakusha have been very angry about this. Like, do not use the Olympics, 2 piece washable, and do not use the Hiroshima, two-piece watch the Olympics off and also like the PCO testing part. If they are going to test the Olympic athletes every day, to keep it safe. Why didn't why they didn't provide that to the Japanese people? I haven't gotten even the one beside chest or what about the in-house? So satoko itani, can you talk about Toyota spent a billion dollars to promote the games. Now has removed all Olympic related commercials meaning commercials that include the Olympics that are so often played through the games because of their embarrassment that this is moving forward. And apparently, the head of Toyota said these games shouldn't be moving forward. Right? I mean, you know, as you mentioned, the vast majority of Japanese people don't want this games. And people are seriously, really concerned about their own lives. And if you look at the, you know, special orders making a lot of money off of this game that are people's life, might be a risk, it is really damaging event the image damaging image, right? So this is quite a historic that the Olympic sponsors thought their Association was the Olympics is a negative. What are your biggest concerns with the Olympic athletes? I mean, at this point we see something like over a hundred have tested positive coming in from all over the world. Not just athletes but staff and those numbers only increase the number of other athletes actually have just quit saying they can't deal with the pressure and the isolation but talk about what people are asking for instead. Well, a lot of people that I speak to here especially the ones protect processing are asking for the cancellation immediately and as soon as possible because the bubble that they say you know, even working as you just mentioned over a hundred cases. Now so athletes and visitors are not protected and the you know public of Japanese people here are also not. And what's really concerning is that the number of the new infection is going up quite rapidly, largely due to the Delta variance coming in, but because all the Olympic is happening. The government has been a really fail to stop that coming into Japan. So, we are for the dark, the sorry. The researchers are warning that they will be worth three thousand cases in Tokyo alone. They leave with him, maybe few weeks. And yeah, this is really, really serious situation. And the hospital is already strained. Can you talk about the hospitals and also marginalized khong? Days like the lgbtq + community, and how they're affected and how many people are vaccinated what percentage of the people of Japan have access to vaccines month. So so we started to hear the reports from the hospitals that they are bits. Are started to fill up. And there are actually thousands of cases of thousands of people waiting to be hospitalized. This means that their situation. Although the condition is worsening fast and they should be hospitalized but they cannot find the hospital best to go into and just about 23% of Japanese people or black residents of Japan have been fully vaccinated. So 80% of people are not Which brings us back to Jules boy, cough with this Mass protests happening. Even the highest levels of Japanese government not wanting to this, to go forward. But basically ioc says, a deal is a deal. Talk about how much money they make off these Olympics and BC paid a fortune for running the Olympics. Over the years, they will broadcast not clear what they will show of the stadiums. Since there are very few people outside of the athletes performing That's right. There is a lot of money. Sloshing through the Olympics system, it just tends to slash upwards into Pockets that are already. Filled NBC is about 40% of the international Olympic committee's revenues and overall in terms of the Olympics, 73% of the revenues for the international Olympic Committee come from Castro fees. And I think that helps explain why they're perfectly content to have a made-for-tv event without all those people in the stands. Of course, they prefer to have them in the stands, but even if they don't offer me continues to flow into their coffers, NBC has announced that even though these games are hit with a pandemic and people won't be in the seats. This could well be the most profitable Olympics office for NBC because of ads sales and other measures the corporate sponsors, provide another 18% of the revenues for the international Olympic Committee. And I think we're seeing a really interesting divide between the coughing Sponsors right now, on one hand, the sort of long-term worldwide partners that fork over these nine-figure fees to be associated with the five rings. They're basically playing the long game with the exception of Toyota, which is, of course, has strong base in Japan, the local sponsors domestic sponsors by. Which by the way, they they raised more than 3 billion dollars from local, corporate sponsors, Japan more than ever before, they're in a much trickier position. And I think that's why you're seeing Toyota, basically say out loud that the Olympics have become a toxic property inside of Japan. So there's plenty of money to be had it just tends to shuffle to the international Olympic Committee to broadcasters to the corporate Partners as well as to real estate interests in the Olympics City. Let's see. I think NBC has paid something like seven point, seven billion dollars to are the Olympics through 12:32. Joules, boycotts. I mean, you played in the Olympics years ago. Let's talk about some of the people who have pulled out, like the two-time US. Paralympic swimmer, Becka, Myers, who's won three, gold medals, two Silvers and a bronze. But she announced Tuesday, she's withdrawn from the Tokyo 2026 Olympics. After being denied and Essential Medical accommodation. Myers was born. Deaf with Progressive sight loss to do assure syndrome in an emotional opinion page for USA Today. She wrote quote, since 2017, the United States, Olympic and paralympic committee has approved the use of a personal care assistant whom I know and trust to be with me log. International swim meets because of my disabilities, but not this year. What happens? If there is an emergency in the middle of the night? What if we need to be moved from one venue to another quickly? Masks, distancing have made it incredibly difficult for me to make out what people are doing or saying if I don't have someone I can trust. How can I trust? That I will be safe. Meyers Road. She spoke on CNN about her decision, I'm heartbroken, I can't even put it into words. I haven't been sleeping. Well I haven't been eating. It's just torn apart swimming is a part of who I am. It's giving me identity as a person. I'm I've always been known as back of the swimmer. Now not Becca the deaf blind person and now I feel very much worthless as a person. And for someone who's trained for five years for this moment, especially an extra year with the pandemic. It's just makes it all seem like it was for nothing, so that's back off. Irish speaking on CNN, she's blind, she cannot hear. She was going with her mother who has been her personal assistant, but they said know that there was personal assistance there. Something like for a couple dozen people only one. Something of course, that would not be adequate for her so she has pulled out Jewels. Can you tell us more and also the role of the paralympic if they're not going to be broadcast by NBC live during this time, is that right? Well, so first let me just say a me that while I did play soccer for the U23 national team. United States also known as the Olympic team. I did not actually participate in the Olympics, so I just want to be clear about that. But, you know, the ioc, the international Olympic Committee has been saying over and over again. As if repeating this Mantra could, make it true that the games are supposed to be safe and secure at every turn. They said these games will be safe and secure, well if they're so safe and secure, then. Yep. Are we seeing all these cases even inside the Olympic Bubble Witch, as itani just pointed out. It's already been punctured if the games are so safe and secure why are athletes being forced to sign a waiver? But states that if they die of coronavirus or from heat stroke that they cannot hold the Olympic organisers liable. If these games are so safe and secure than wife. The New England Journal of Medicine come out with an editorial. That just excoriated the international Olympic Committee for his preparations for the covid-19 crisis in Tokyo. They said that they were not putting forth best scientific practices, they don't don't even provide masks to the people that are going to Tokyo. So it's a byom situation of bring your own mask situation. With International Olympic Committee likes, to talk about how athletes are first. That's one of their mantras also same with the international paralympic committee, but when you hear the case of Becka, Myers, my goodness, how poignant dead? Is it's just so heartbreaking and it's hard to take that slogan athletes first, very seriously when you hear that and one last point on the athletes, if I may say a really important study came out recently from Ryerson University that compared the percentage of revenues that Olympians get compared to athletes from other sports like the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, the English Premier League of football in over in the UK and what they found in that study was with those other leagues was other professional leagues. The athletes took in between 45 and sixty percent of the revenues with the Olympics Olympians only take in 4.1% of the revenues 4.1% compared to forty-five to sixty percent. So Olympians aren't even getting a fair share of the Olympic money pie and that very much has to change. And one exciting thing is that we're seeing athletes around the world. Begin to really come to a gym. They're in organized around these issues and support each other groups, like Global athlete and athlete lead group that's out there, fighting for justice groups, like The Athletic Association and track. And field wage is like the newly-formed. International swimmers Alliance. They're realizing that if athletes want to get more of a fair shake at the games that they need to come together and organized Independant of the Olympic honchos home. And just to say the Paralympics, actually take place not right now, but from August 24th, until September 5th, ask you about the Spanish Olympic swimmer, Ona carbonell, who has criticized the Olympic Committee for imposing rules, that made it clearly impossible for her to continue breastfeeding. Her child wild Olympics on Wednesday. She released a video game. Expressing her disappointment and disillusionment after she decided she cannot bring her breast feeding son to Tokyo while she competes You cannot remain vehicle is available. So I had to take a very tough decision together with my team who's been helping me a lot with my family, because the Japanese government's in positions are not compatible with them. Athletic performance and being with my family at the same time, Jules boycotts. Again, another heart-wrenching story that we're hearing out of the Olympic Zone and basically she was forced to choose between her family and her Olympic dream, the international committee did loosen its rules. After a lot of pressure from these organized athletes that I was talking about at the end of June, they said that mothers who were nursing could continue to do. So, during the Olympics, I am very strict conditions where the baby would be kept in a hotel or far away from the Olympic Zone and the athlete that you were just talking about on a carbonyl said that this would actually be more dangerous mean. If she had to travel to a hotel where the baby would be for 20 days in quarantine and then traveled back into the Olympic Village best again, just not best scientific practices and I think it just points to the fact of the international Olympic Committee is making athletes. Take terrible choices out there very heart-wrenching choices and I really feel for that athlete. Of course in the situation, finally, Jewish boy, cough. The message for Los Angeles and explain when the Olympics are in Los Angeles and what this.