No banners allowed at Olympic venues: BOCOG

All types of banners with support slogans for national teams will be banned at the Olympic venues, according to the new rules published on Monday by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).

According to the organizers of the Beijing Games, the banners are banned because they "violate the fairness principle of an Olympic event," CRI writes.

The new rules advise spectators not to bring support banners and leaflets of commercial publicity, religion, politics, military, human rights and environmental and animal protection, among others to the venues, CRI says.

Huang Keying, an official with the Beijing Olympic committee, said the rules with 22 restrictions and four prohibitions, were completely in line with the Olympic Charter.

Anyone trying to enter the Olympic venues with banners will be stopped at the entrance security check, according to BOCOG's Li Yong.

The rules also ban flash photography, drunkenness and gambling, as well as soft drink containers, musical instruments, including whistles, long umbrellas, cigarette lighters, cameras and radios at venues, CRI writes.