this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2024
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todayilearned

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todayilearned

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TIL that in 1956 during the Olympic torch relay, a veterinary student staged a protest and made a fake flame by lighting a pair of underpants on fire in a can and handing it over to the next runner (web.archive.org)
submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/todayilearned
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[–] quixotic120 10 points 3 months ago (1 children)

that sounds like they made a real flame

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

A real flame, but not one ignited by the sun in Greece. (Or wherever it is started)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

What reason would they have for protesting the Olympics?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 3 months ago (1 children)

The Olympic flame relay is a tradition started by the Nazis during the 1936 olympic games, the protest was to show dissatisfaction with keeping the tradition alive.

These days, I doubt anyone makes the same connection.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Sounds like the one actually not fucked up thing the Nazis started. Should we stop doing fun, harmless things just because a Nazi did them too?