MONTREAL – In a gesture of protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s so-called gay propaganda law, Montreal’s mayor proudly applauded as the rainbow flag was hoisted from the main balcony of city hall next to the Olympic flag.
“Today we are all Russian for all those people who are suffering right now and we show our solidarity,” Denis Coderre said on the steps of city hall Friday afternoon.
READ MORE: Russian police arrest gay activists on opening day of Sochi Olympics
Flanked by other city councillors and members of Montreal’s gay and lesbian community, Coderre said he hoped raising the rainbow flag would send a message to Russia.
He said that during the Sochi Olympics there was no room for discrimination in sports.
READ MORE: UN secretary-general condemns attacks on homosexuals in Sochi speech
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“I’m sending a political message to the Russian government,” Coderre said.
“I’m not alone.”
The rainbow flag was raised in front of city halls across Canada, including Ottawa, Quebec City, Toronto and Edmonton.
Colours of the rainbow will also be glowing in the niches of Montreal’s Olympic Tower.
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Coderre, who happens to be the former federal Liberal Minister of Sports, said that he declined an invitation by the Olympic Committee to attend the opening Sochi ceremony because of the Russia’s anti-gay law.
“That law doesn’t represent the values of the Olympics,” Coderre said.
READ MORE: How Russia enforces its ban on gay ‘propaganda’
Yet while Coderre was watching the rainbow flag go up, Toronto’s mayor was calling for it to be taken down.
Rob Ford asked for it to removed from city hall.
“This is about the Olympics, this is about being patriotic to your country,” Ford said Friday.
READ MORE: Rob Ford wants gay pride flag outside of city hall taken down
He wanted it taken down and replaced by the Canadian flag.
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