ROME (Sputnik) — The rally was conducted a day before the official ceremony of opening the games in the Brazilian coastal city of Rio de Janeiro.
According to a member of association "Rome-Russian-Italian youths" Irina Osipova, at least 40 people participated in the rally, with Italians mostly among them.
"We have conducted a small demonstration, after which some ran several rounds around the Olympic stadium in support of 'clean' Russian athletes, prohibited from the games because of the doping scandal," Osipova told RIA Novosti.
On July 21, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the decision of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to ban Russian track-and-field athletes from competitions. Darya Klishina, who trains outside of the country, is the only Russian athlete who was permitted by the IAAF to compete as a neutral participant.
The 2016 Olympics, the first ever to be held in South America, are set to open on August 5 and last until August 21.
