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Authorities in three 2018 FIFA World Cup host cities rejected Russian gay activists’ bids to hold pride parades, Interfax reported.

Volga Federal District’s Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod and Saransk will host a big chunk of the 2018 tournament.

The city authorities argued that gay pride parades “violate federal law, could trigger mass discontent of citizens and provoke violations of public order.”

The pride parade’s organizers wanted to rally for the rights of homosexuals and the legalization of gay marriage in Russia.

In 2013, President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning “gay propaganda”. Rights watchdogs and Western governments have criticized the step. US senators and renowned gay rights activists have called FIFA to cancel the World Cup in Russia due to the controversial law.