Rainbow flag flies above Montreal City Hall for Sochi Games

Quebecs major cities are flying the rainbow flag in protest of Russias anti-gay propaganda laws, as the 2014 Winter Gamesin Sochi get underway.

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Standing in front of MontrealCity Hall, Mayor Denis Coderre said that everyone has the right to live as a first-class citizen.

My role as a mayor, my role as a public figure is to send a message, Coderre said.

Today we are all Russian for all those people who are suffering right now, and we show our solidarity.

Coderre was inspired by the city of St. John's, Nfld., whose mayor announced earlier this week the rainbow flag would hang at city hall.

Since then, other cities have followed suit, including Ottawa and Toronto.

The rainbow flag, an emblem of the LGBT community, is also hoisted in front of Lavals city hall and in Quebec City.

Montreal's Olympic Park has also been lit up in rainbow colours for the duration ofthe Sochi Games.

The general director of the Quebec LGBT Council, Steve Foster, said he was proud to see so many citiesin Quebec standing in solidarity.

To have a mayor who makes this decision to support the LGBT communities, we are very satisfied, we are very happy, Foster said.