House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday discouraged Olympic athletes from protesting at the opening ceremony in Beijing, saying that it wasn’t worth the risk of reprisal from a “ruthless” Chinese government.
Pelosi said that she and other politicians would speak out against China’s human rights record, but that athletes would be at risk if they use their platforms to protest.
“I would say to our athletes: You’re there to compete,” she said. “Do not risk incurring the anger of the Chinese government, because they are ruthless.”
It is not known how the Chinese government would respond to protests, but officials have warned that athletes are subject to Chinese law.