Soccer players kneel to start Olympic activism in Tokyo

TOKYO (AP) — Soccer players at the Olympics have taken a knee before kickoff in their matches on the first day of action at the Tokyo Games.

It started before Britain’s game against Chile in Sapporo. An hour later, it was the American and Swedish players in Tokyo taking part in united, unprecedented gestures against racism by teams at an Olympics.

Long restricted by the International Olympic Committee, such protests within limited parameters are now permitted at the Games inside the field of play.