Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Gwen Berry are among the more than 150 educators, activists and athletes who signed a letter Thursday urging the IOC not to punish participants who demonstrate at the Tokyo Games.

The simple act of taking a knee felt like something more monumental when it happened on Olympic soccer pitches in Japan on the opening night of action.

The decision is a response to a set of recommendations from a USOPC athlete group that seeks changes to the much-maligned Rule 50 of the IOC Olympic Charter, which prohibits inside-the-lines protests at the games. IOC athletes chair Kirsty Coventry said many of those who have provided feedback to her commission "have also recognized the practical question of how to choose between the opinions of hundreds of issues from different angles across the world." The USOPC established a handful of working groups led by athletes who tackled different aspects of social injustice in the Olympic movement and society in general. The USOPC says it won't discipline athletes for “respectful” and “peaceful” demonstrations, and Hirshland said, “I can't imagine that kneeling or raising a fist would be considered" inappropriate. The IOC has sent a survey to athletes across the globe for their opinions on Rule 50 and other issues.