Topics: Olympics, Racism, New Zealand
An official has been sent home from the Paris Olympic Games after a gesture he made was caught on camera.
The Paris Games have not been short of controversy, and that trend has continued when an individual made a controversial hand gesture.
A man wearing Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) kit was caught on camera making the gesture during the women's street skateboarding finals on Sunday, July 28.
The 'OK' gesture - made by joining the thumb and forefinger - can be interpreted as a symbol which promotes white supremacy.
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A journalist informed organisers that the man - a subcontractor and not a direct employee of OBS - was stood behind athletes at La Concorde Urban Park and twice made the gesture while stood in the background of live TV footage.
While the gesture can be used to show approval and is an emoji, in recent times it has been adopted by some far-right groups, including those involved in the white supremacy movement.
The man's motives are unknown.
A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) 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 explained that the symbol began as an online joke before becoming a "popular trolling tactic" from a number of "right-leaning individuals."
The Brazilian journalist who reported the incident to Olympics organisers said he has seen similar incidents in his native country.
He cited a trial last year in which a judge overturned the acquittal of a former government official who used the gesture.
