Protest Zone at Sochi Set Miles Away from Olympic Arenas

Those looking to make their voices heard protesting at the Olympic Games in Sochi next month better bring a megaphone. The protest zone promised last month by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach will be set up in Khosta, a small town of about 20,000 on the coast of the Black Sea. The town is 12 kilometers, or seven miles, away from the arenas in Olympic Park. The announcement was reported by Russian sports site R-Sport, which quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak as saying the zone will allow protestors "to freely express their opinion without breaching the rights of other citizens" or breaking the Olympic Charter. “At the sports arena, at the sports facilities, in compliance with the Olympic charter," Kozak continued, "expressing political opinions is forbidden.” Allowing protests at all is a bit of an about-face for Russian President/Phobie 2013 Award Winner Vladimir Putin, who had previously banned all pro-LGBT demonstrations during Sochi.