RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The Paralympic Games already has its first political protest, right at the beginning with the opening ceremony.
A Belarusian sports ministry employee who marched in with a Russian flag on Wednesday has been booted out of the games.
The International Paralympic Committee banned Russia from the games because of the country's part in a state-sponsored doping system, and identified the flag-carrier as Andrei Fomachkin. The IPC said he was waving the Russian flag and marching as a guest of the Belarusian Paralympic committee.
"The fact he was a guest of the president rather than an athlete or coach makes it easier for us to take this action," IPC spokesman Craig Spence said.