Leader of anti-LGBT rally detained for resisting, insulting police
Palavandishvili’s rally comes after calls from local businessman Levan Vasadze to prevent Tbilisi Pride events from taking place. Photo: Guram Muradov / Civil.Ge.
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A leader of an anti-LGBT rally held in front of the Georgian parliament, Guram Palavandishvili, has been detained for insulting a police officer, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reports.
The police approached Palavandishvili on the order of the ministry to investigate [incitement to violence]. Palavandishvili resisted law enforcers and verbally insulted a police officer”, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported.
Palavandishvili’s rally comes after calls from local businessman Levan Vasadze to prevent Tbilisi Pride events from taking place.
Tbilisi Pride is being held between June 18-23 in Tbilisi to raise awareness about the situation of sexual minorities in the country.
Levan Vasadze Georgian businessman held a rally in front of the administration building of the government of Georgia on June 16 calling on the government not to allow Tbilisi Pride events to take place. Photo: 1TV.
He also called for the creation of ‘patrol groups’ in Tbilisi over the course of the week to disrupt Tbilisi Pride events.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs responded to Vasadze’s announcement, saying that the formation of such groups was illegal, after which Vasadze later promised that anti-LGBT activists would not patrol the streets of Tbilisi.
Turmoil around the first Tbilisi Pride - a week-long event dedicated to the rights of LGBT individuals - continues as organisers decided yesterday to hold the events despite threats coming from nationalist groups. the organisers said earlier today that LGBT march will not be held on the central streets of Tbilisi.
Businessman Levan Vasadze, who had earlier called for anti-LGBT activists to form ‘patrols’ to prevent events for Tbilisi Pride, says no such groups will be formed for now. The decision came after the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs earlier yesterday.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has launched an investigation regarding a threat made by businessman Levan Vasadze last week to create self-organised groups in Tbilisi to prevent the holding of LGBT events during upcoming Tbilisi Pride – a week-long event to raise public awareness about the rights of sexual minorities in the country.
Georgian church urge cancellation of event
LGBT Pride Week is set to be held between June 18-23 in Tbilisi to raise the awareness about sexual minorities. The Georgian Patriarchate has urged the government earlier today not to allow the event to take place, “as it is known beforehand that the event will lead to unrest.”
Tbilisi City Court earlier ruled today that one of the leaders of anti-LGBT rallies in Tbilisi in mid-June, Guram Palavandishvili verbally insulted police and disobeyed them when he was summoned for interrogation regarding the rallies on June 20.
Tbilisi Pride, which was scheduled to take place earlier today, has been cancelled “due to increased threats”, as clerics, nationalist groups and their supporters have gathered at different locations in Tbilisi to prevent the march from taking place.
The Georgian March civil movement, known for its anti-LGBT rallies, has created a political party called Georgian March - National Movement earlier today.
An audio recording has gone viral in which the leader of Georgian ultra-right party Georgian March-National Movement Sandro Bregadze allegedly speaks with the member of Russian Federation Council (an upper house of the Russian parliament) and a former employee of the Russian intelligence service, Igor Morozov.