Torch to arrive amidst huge protests over anti-gay law
6 Feb 2014 6:51 AM IST
President Vladimir Putin was also set to visit athletes settling into the Olympic villages as the authorities rush to make the finishing touches ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony in the Fisht stadium. Putin has vowed that Russia will ensure hospitable and top class Games for everyone but the 50 billion project has long been overshadowed by Russia’s law outlawing ‘gay propaganda’ to minors.
Gay rights group All Out is organising protests in 19 cities around the world, including Saint Petersburg in Russia but not Sochi itself, urging sponsors to ‘break their silence’ on the controversial legislation.
‘This is the moment to push sponsors to use their economic power to call for an end to these discriminatory laws,’ it said in a statement. The international demonstrations by LGBT activists plan to target big Olympic sponsors such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Samsung, watchmaker Omega and Visa credit cards. The Olympic flame is due to spend the next three days in and around Sochi, including Friday when it will finally arrive at the stadium to light the Olympic cauldron.
The stadium is itself some 40 kilometres south of Sochi city centre and in the next days the flame is expected to be carried by runners, on trains, on sailing boats and even possibly on a Black Sea dolphin. Flame carriers are set to include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and IOC president Thomas Bach as well as luminaries of Russian sport like pole vault champion Elena Isinbayeva.
Putin assured International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Bach the day earlier all guests would feel comfortable at the Games. ‘I want to assure you that we will do everything so that Sochi is a hospitable home for all the participants, for all the guests,’ Putin told Bach as he met members of IOC in Sochi. ‘The main task is to make the Sochi Games a celebration for all sport lovers in the world,’ Putin added.
He also thanked IOC for allowing Russia to host the Olympics when at the time of the bid only 15 percent of the infrastructure was ready. Putin was later expected to visit the Olympic village where he was to take part in the official welcome for the Russian team.
Gay rights group All Out is organising protests in 19 cities around the world, including Saint Petersburg in Russia but not Sochi itself, urging sponsors to ‘break their silence’ on the controversial legislation.
‘This is the moment to push sponsors to use their economic power to call for an end to these discriminatory laws,’ it said in a statement. The international demonstrations by LGBT activists plan to target big Olympic sponsors such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Samsung, watchmaker Omega and Visa credit cards. The Olympic flame is due to spend the next three days in and around Sochi, including Friday when it will finally arrive at the stadium to light the Olympic cauldron.
The stadium is itself some 40 kilometres south of Sochi city centre and in the next days the flame is expected to be carried by runners, on trains, on sailing boats and even possibly on a Black Sea dolphin. Flame carriers are set to include UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and IOC president Thomas Bach as well as luminaries of Russian sport like pole vault champion Elena Isinbayeva.
Putin assured International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Bach the day earlier all guests would feel comfortable at the Games. ‘I want to assure you that we will do everything so that Sochi is a hospitable home for all the participants, for all the guests,’ Putin told Bach as he met members of IOC in Sochi. ‘The main task is to make the Sochi Games a celebration for all sport lovers in the world,’ Putin added.
He also thanked IOC for allowing Russia to host the Olympics when at the time of the bid only 15 percent of the infrastructure was ready. Putin was later expected to visit the Olympic village where he was to take part in the official welcome for the Russian team.
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