US, Israel, booed at Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Milan
During the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, sections of the crowd booed the delegations from the United States and Israel.
Thousands of athletes and spectators gathered at San Siro Stadium in Milan for the four-hour ceremony on Saturday, marking the 25th edition of the Winter Olympics and the first co-hosted by two cities.
The Israeli team received boos as they entered during the Parade of Nations, largely due to international condemnation of Israel's ongoing genocidal war in Gaza.
The US athletes were first cheered upon their entry, but loud boos erupted when Vice President JD Vance appeared on the stadium screens, reflecting opposition to US support for Israel, its aggressive foreign policy, including threats against Iran, and the controversial involvement of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in securing the American delegation amid related protests in Milan.
Critics, including athletes and activists, condemned the deployment of ICE personnel in Italy, especially following fatal shootings in Minneapolis involving US immigration officers earlier this year.
Some athletes staged symbolic protests; for instance, British figure skater Gus Kenworthy, a former US competitor, expressed his outrage on social media, stating, “innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough.”
The Israeli team also faced boos upon entering the stadium, with similar reactions reported during a parallel athletes’ parade in Predazzo.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had faced calls to ban Israel from the Games over its ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which Palestinian health authorities say has killed nearly 72,000 people. The IOC rejected those demands, reiterating its position that the Olympics should remain politically neutral.
In a logistical first for the Winter Games, four athletes’ parades took place simultaneously in Milan, Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo. Olympic events are spread across approximately 14,000 square miles, making Milano Cortina the most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics to date.
The opening ceremony also featured two Olympic cauldrons, another first in Winter Games history. Former Italian skiing champions Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba lit the flames at ceremonies held at Milan’s Arc of Peace and in Cortina.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will run until February 22, with organizers hoping the focus will now shift from political controversy to athletic competition.
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