Russian officials set location of Olympic protest zone

The Russian government has released new details about a proposed protest zone at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.

President Vladimir Putin recently promised to create such a zone. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak said Friday that it would be located in the village of Khosta, about seven miles from the nearest Olympic venues.

Demonstrations must be unrelated to the Winter Games and organizers must receive permission from regional authorities, according to a U.S. State Department release.

In a travel alert, the State Department suggested that Americans attending the Olympics steer clear of any unrest.

“Demonstrations intended to be peaceful can develop quickly and unpredictably, sometimes turning violent,” the alert stated.

The State Department made particular mention of controversial Russian legislation that bans “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” to minors.

“The law makes it a crime to promote LGBT equality in public, but lacks concrete definitions for key terms,” the alert said.

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