Tokyo jo: in Japan, a petition given to the authorities to request the cancellation of the competition

Alors que l’épidémie de Covid-19 ne cesse de s’aggraver au Japon, où les autorités viennent d’étendre l’état d’urgence déjà en place sur une partie du pays, des militants opposés aux Jeux olympiques (JO) ont soumis, vendredi 14 mai, une pétition demandant l’annulation des JO de Tokyo.

More than 353,000 people signed an online petition entitled "Cancel the Tokyo Olympic Games to protect our lives", launched at the beginning of May by KenjiUtsunomiya, lawyer and former candidate for the post of Governor of Tokyo.The particularly fast speed with which the signatures were collected on the platform changes.Org in Japan "reflects public opinion", polls carried out since last year showing that 60 % to 70 % of the population is opposed to the holding of the games this summer, he told the press.

"This time, the question is what we are giving priority: life or a ceremony and an event called Olympic Games," said Mr..Utsunomiya.With the petition, he asked the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, to urge the International Olympic Committee (CIO) to cancel the games.

"The IOC has the right to make the decision to cancel or not the games, but Tokyo, as a host city, should urgently ask the CIO to cancel the games.»»

Risques « infimes»»

These activists sent their petition by email to the IOC and to the International Paralympic Committee (CIP) and will then send postal letters to international organizations, while providing for submitting the same text to the Japanese government and the TOKYO Games Organizing Committee.

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Andrew Parsons, le président du CIP, reconnaît que la tenue des Jeux de Tokyo peut générer de la « colère»» parmi la population japonaise en raison de la pandémie, mais a qualifié d’« infimes»» les risques de propagation du virus par les sportifs.

In an interview with the France-Presse agency, M.Parsons assured that there would be no relaxation of health measures, which, according to him, will help preserve the security of sportsmen and Japanese public.He spoke Thursday evening, just over a hundred days before the opening of the Paralympic Games, which must hold from August 24 to September 5, and ten weeks before the opening of the Olympic Games on July 23.

Support of great Japanese sportsmen

These statements arise when Japan has just extended, on Friday, May 14, the state of emergency linked to the COVVI-19, currently in place in six departments including that of Tokyo, to three other departments, according to government sources.

The number of cases of COVID-19 continues to increase in the country, while the vaccination campaign is only increasingly.Established for the third time in the country in just over a year, the state of emergency provides for less severe restrictions than the strict confinements implemented elsewhere in the world.

It consists above all to restrict the activity of certain businesses, notably imposing the temporary closure of bars and restaurants serving alcohol, under penalty of fine.Some department stores and cinemas have also been closed.Another range of measures, from a level lower than the state of emergency, will also be extended, concerning ten other departments over the forty-seven in the country.

In recent days, several high -ranking Japanese athletes, including Golfer Hideki Matsuyama and Tennis Player Naomi Osaka, have expressed reserves on the viability of the Olympic Games in full epidemic.Without this being a mandatory condition to participate, many athletes from around the world are vaccinated for the Olympic Games and M.Parsons provides that this will also be the case for at least 60 % of Paralympians.

Japan has been relatively spared overall by the pandemic, with just over 11,000 dead officially identified since the beginning of 2020, but medical experts warn that the hospital system is under high pressure.