Spectators attending the Athens Olympics could be forcibly removed from stadiums if they wear clothing bearing ”obvious logos of competitive companies to sponsors”, according to rules released by games organisers.
The restriction will extend to hats, T-shirts, bags and other ”commercial items”.
But marketing sources were at pains on Sunday to dispel fears that people will be ejected for wearing clothes that inadvertently advertise competitor companies. The prohibition is aimed at preventing ”a commercial coup d’état” inside stadiums, they insisted.
”The goal is to stop sponsors being hijacked in an orchestrated way, not to stop people wearing a particular T-shirt,” said one official.
”It will only apply to groups. If we see 20 people, all sitting in a row wearing hats of a [non-sponsor] company then, yes, they will be removed.”
But despite the clarification, confusion still reigns over what exactly constitutes a group.
Leading the wrangle is the Greek branch of Amnesty International, which that fears freedom of expression could be among the measure’s real losers.
”This regulation is still cause for concern,” said an Amnesty spokesperson, Nikos Mastrakoulis.
”What we would like to see is a firm guarantee by the organisers that any restrictions will only be used to prevent commercial abuse of the Games and not, as we fear, to stifle individual freedom of expression.”
An Olympics official said: ”These rules have been written in a draconian way so that they leave no room for doubt. What is our over-arching concern and desire is to keep the games free of advertising or any commerce inside stadiums.” — Guardian Unlimited