Tbilisi protests resume, organisers suggest 'Spend Your Summer on Rustaveli' campaign
A number of people and companies have expressed their willingness to help those injured during the clash bewteen police and protesters on June 20. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Tweet 
Share
Peaceful demonstrators have gathered in front of the parliament of Georgia for the 25th consecutive day tonight, again demanding Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia's resignation.
One of the organisers of the demonstrations, Shota Digmelashvili, said they will not stop until their last demand is fulfilled.
Therefore, he suggested the Tbilisi protests turn into a "Spend Your Summer on Rustaveli" campaign.
However, this time Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi turned into a flea market with a number of Georgian small entrepreneurs gathering from 5 p.m. selling local produce.
20% of money from today’s flea market will be donated to the Tbilisi protests. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Tbilisi protests were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament during the 26th Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy, when Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov took the seat of the Georgian parliamentary speaker to address the audience.
- The rally following the developments in parliament on June 20 was dispersed by police after a part of the demonstrators decided to storm the parliament building, leaving 305 detained and 240 injured.
- The Georgian Dream ruling party says that the “justified and peaceful” protest of people was transformed into violence due to the “provocative and destructive” actions by opposition members.
- A member of the UNM Nika Melia has been charged with incitement to violence during the rally.
Protests in Tbilisi continue as their last demand remains unfulfilled – the resignation of Interior Minister Gakharia [for the violent dispersal of the rally].
Peaceful demonstrators have gathered in front of the parliament of Georgia for the 31st consecutive day this evening, again demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia. Demonstrators held posters with numbers indicating the total amount of people attending the rally.
An employee of the Georgian Interior Ministry has been detained for possible abuse of power during the Tbilisi rallies on June 20-21, at the parliament building of Georgia, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office says.
The human rights defender Sopho Verdzeuli said the Tbilisi protest of June 20 in front of the parliament of Georgia “became violent” after around 10 p.m. “Quite a lot of demonstrators were physically attacking police officers from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m., grabbing their equipment, pulling police officers out of the cordon”, Verdzeuli wrote on her Facebook page.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia gave his second televised explanation about the June 20 rally on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi. Speaking with Inga Grigolia, the anchor of Tbilisi-based TV Pirveli, Gakharia said the initial protest rally “was not peaceful”.
The European Union Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Maja Kocijancic said in today’s statement that EU considers the Russian decision to ban flights to Georgia as of 8 July “unjustified and disproportionate”. Kocijancic said the latest developments in relations between Russia and Georgia “risk having a negative impact on the citizens of both countries”.
Starting from today Tbilisi rallies will be focused on communication, changing the public’s views, and discussions, organisers say.“We will gather in front of the parliament building, read poems, discuss various issues, show films, discuss the films, etc.,” one of the organisers of the protests, Shota Digmelashvili said.