- The man in question had been wearing Olympic Broadcasting Services kit
- He was stood behind athletes and coaches while he made the ‘OK’ gesture
- His accreditation allowing him to cover the Olympics has now been removed
A Paris Olympics official has had his accreditation revoked after appearing to make a controversial hand gesture that can be interpreted as a ‘white supremacy’ symbol.
The unnamed man was caught on camera during the women’s street skate finals last Sunday and had been wearing Olympic Broadcasting Services [OBS] kit.
According to a journalist who informed organisers of the incident, the man, who has been identified as a subcontractor, was stood behind athletes at La Concorde Urban Park and twice made an ‘OK’ gesture low to his side in the background of TV shots.
His forefinger and thumb linked to form the symbol, which can be used to show approval and is a widely-used emoji. However, it is also alleged that its use among certain far-right groups is on the rise. The man’s motives are not known.
It is said that the man tried to manoeuvre himself into a position that would allow him to be spotted in the live footage also displayed on the venue’s large screens.
A Paris Olympics official has had his accreditation removed for this controversial hand gesture
The ‘OK’ symbol (seen bottom left) can be interpreted as an ‘expression of white supremacy’
He was seen performing the gesture during two athletes’ displays.
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee said: ‘The person in question has been identified and confirmed not to be a member of the OBS team.
‘They are associated with one of its contractors. The contractor has been informed. The individual’s accreditation has been cancelled effective immediately.’
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organisation fighting anti-Semitism and bias, said the gesture has been used as a ‘sincere expression of white supremacy’.
The group also explained that the symbol began as an online joke before becoming a ‘popular trolling tactic’ from a number of ‘right-leaning individuals’.
The man accused of killing 51 people at two mosques in New Zealand in 2019, the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s history, made the sign while in court.
Australian Brenton Tarrant, 29, later admitted to the murder of 51 people, attempted murder of another 40 people and one charge of terrorism.
The judge called his actions ‘inhuman’ and said he ‘showed no mercy’.
The journalist who reported the matter to organisers in Paris claimed the issue was ‘nothing new’ in his home country of Brazil, citing a trial last year in which a judge overturned the acquittal of a former government official after he used the gesture.
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