DICTATORS
DON’T BELONG
AT THE
OLYMPICS…
… AND THEY
DEFINITELY SHOULDN’T
HOST THEM.
If the International Olympic Committee (IOC) won’t stand up to dictators, then it’s up to the global community to take a stand. The 2022 Winter Olympics Games is slated to take place in China, a country ruled by one of the world’s most infamous dictators and most egregious human rights abusers. We’re joining grassroots activists and concerned global citizens to urge democratic nations to refuse to send official representation to the Beijing Olympics – to leave their Olympic box seats empty in protest.
The United States has announced a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Games, and we are beginning to see other governments follow suit. We need as many countries as possible to join this effort and to leave their box seats empty at the Opening Ceremonies on February 4, 2022.
Take Action
Help us call out the Olympics for allowing dictators like Xi to call the shots. Tweet or post our animation sending Xi Jinping away from the Olympic Stadium (find more options or make one of your own here) and let the world know that dictators don’t deserve to host the Olympics!
How Can I Help?
We need YOUR help to make sure that we send a message at the 2022 Winter Olympics that Xi Jinping and his fellow dictators can’t miss.
1. Write to your representative, member of Parliament or head of state, and urge them to commit to a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. You can find a draft letter here.
2. Help us call out the Olympics for allowing dictators like Xi to call the shots. Tweet or post one of our animations sending Xi Jinping away from the Olympic Stadium and let the world know that dictators don’t deserve to host the Olympics!
Why Does This Campaign Matter?
The Olympic Charter states that “the goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity”. It is time for the Olympics to stop legitimizing brutal dictators and to instead recommit to the principles outlined in its own Charter.
China is ruled by a fully authoritarian regime headed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and dictator Xi Jinping. The CCP maintains total control over the country’s government, military, economy, judiciary, and educational system, and it has unabashedly attacked fundamental human rights in order to advance its own political and ideological goals. The CCP must be condemned by the international community over its human rights violations. Beijing does not deserve the honor of being the first city in history to host both Summer and Winter Olympics
Social Posts
Dictators don’t belong at the Olympics…and they definitely shouldn’t host them! I’m calling on [COUNTRY] to take a stand and commit to a diplomatic boycott of @Beijing2022. #KeeptheBoxEmpty
Dictators shouldn’t call the shots at @Olympics. I’m sending Xi Jinping away from the Olympic Stadium to show the IOC how to stand up to dictators.
The “Empty Box” Campaign is a joint initiative spearheaded by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) and the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice (Lantos Foundation).