As Los Angeles gears up for the 2028 Olympics, there's growing concern among City Council members about a potential boycott that could hit the city's finances hard, as reported by KTLA. During a recent Olympic committee meeting, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson voiced worries that the national government's behavior, notably the violence in Minneapolis and elsewhere, could set the stage for a boycott; this sentiment echoes past FIFA-related protests and could signal trouble for Los Angeles, which is the financial guarantor for the Games with potential losses falling on local taxpayers.
Amidst global disapproval over President Trump's dealings with Greenland, recent ICE shootings, and his tendency to stir controversy, some council members like Monica Rodriguez are advocating for a "Plan B" – acknowledging that these issues could forewarn a broader Olympic boycott, according to LAist. Rodriguez argues the city must consider more than just the financial ramifications, emphasizing that the integrity of the Olympic movement, which suffered during the 1984 Los Angeles Games amid a Soviet-led boycott, is also at stake.
These concerns were further heightened during a City Council meeting where Councilmember Rodriguez and others pressed LA28, the local organizing committee of the Games, for contingency planning; officials were told to prepare for all outcomes to protect taxpayers and uphold Olympic tradition, as documented in an interview with The Orange County Register. Even though LA28 COO John Harper asserted there had been no discussions with the IOC about a possible boycott, the Council's urgency suggests they are deeply unsettled by the current climate.
Moreover, Council members raised alarms over the Trump administration's plans to potentially use military or National Guard troops during the Olympics, which has prompted unanimous requests for more detailed presentations on the federal task force's role, originally announced last year, these concerns are indeed justified when considering Trump's track record and associates recently added to the LA28 board. While the ultimate goal remains to provide a safe environment for the Games, city leaders exhibit an acute awareness that they must be vigilant about "serious conversations" regarding security leadership to preempt any federal overreach, an urgency that reflects broader worries about protecting Los Angeles's interests and its citizens.
