In anticipation of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, debates have intensified over the appropriate role of politics during an international event meant to transcend exactly that. Numerous individuals and groups have promised to protest in Beijing, and in response, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) released a memo clarifying Rule 51 of the Olympics Charter, which prohibits demonstrations and propaganda in Olympic areas. Both Chinese officials and members of the IOC fear that protests will diminish the prestige of the Olympics.