Petition to Cancel the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles

We, the undersigned, urge the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and the City of Los Angeles to reconsider hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics in light of the severe democratic backsliding, political violence, and civil rights suppression currently taking place in the United States.

Why the 2028 Olympics Should Not Be Held in the U.S.:

1. Erosion of Democratic Norms

The United States is undergoing an unprecedented democratic decline. Initiatives such as Project 2025 threaten to dismantle key democratic institutions, consolidating executive power in a way that undermines checks and balances. Experts warn that this shift could result in authoritarian rule, mass purges of civil servants, and sweeping policy changes that erode fundamental freedoms—a direct contradiction to the Olympic Charter’s values of democracy and human dignity.

2. Rising Political Violence and Civil Unrest

The U.S. has seen an alarming increase in politically motivated violence, domestic terrorism, and attacks on public officials. Given the state of unrest, hosting a global event like the Olympics in such a volatile environment would put athletes, officials, and spectators at risk.

3. U.S. Added to UN Watchlist for Human Rights Violations

The United States was recently placed on the CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist for its rapid decline in civil liberties, including crackdowns on protests, restrictions on journalists, and attempts to suppress voting rights. The Olympics should not be hosted in a country where these fundamental freedoms are under attack.

4. A Chance for the IOC to Redeem Itself

The IOC has made grave mistakes in the past by granting the Olympics to nations with oppressive regimes. Most notably:

1936 Berlin Olympics under Adolf Hitler, which became a propaganda tool for Nazi Germany.

2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia, which bolstered Putin’s authoritarian regime just before the invasion of Ukraine.

The 2028 Olympics in the United States risk repeating these mistakes. By allowing a country with escalating democratic backsliding to host the Games, the IOC risks legitimizing a government that is actively undermining human rights. This is the IOC’s chance to break the cycle and take a stand for democracy.

The Olympic Charter and Global Responsibility

The Olympic Charter states that the Games should “promote a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity”. Given the political conditions in the United States, hosting the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028 would be an endorsement of the very opposite—an increasingly autocratic government with dwindling civil rights.

In light of these urgent concerns, we demand that the IOC relocate the 2028 Olympics to a nation that upholds the values of democracy, human rights, and political stability.

We refuse to let the Olympics be used as a tool to whitewash authoritarianism.

Sources:

US added to international watchlist for rapid decline in civic freedoms

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/09/watchlist-decline-civic-freedoms-civicus

'Nothing like this in American history': the crisis of Trump's assault on the rule of law

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/mar/09/trump-assault-rule-of-law

Rising Political Violence in the U.S.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/04/attacks-political-violence

What is Project 2025? The Plan to Transform the U.S. Government

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025