PM Gakharia on anniversary of June protests: ‘no matter how many years pass, we prevented destabilisation’
June protests last year were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in Georgian parliament. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who was serving as interior minister during the June 20, 2019 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi, says that the Georgian government ‘prevented a large-scale destabilisation and chaos’ in the country.
He says that it is of less importance now who ordered the use of rubble bullets or water cannons during the dispersal.
There have been numerous questions regarding June 20. All the questions are of secondary importance. The major issue is that the government prevented large-scale destabilisation and chaos in the country,” Gakharia said.
He repeated that it was an attempt to storm the parliament and country’s democratic institutions.
We managed to prevent this,” Gakharia said.
The June protests were sparked by the presence of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov in the Georgian parliament building during the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy.
Gavrilov occupying seat of the Georgian parliament speaker.
Gavrilov, who expresses support for the independence of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, took the seat of Georgia’s parliament speaker.
At the rally protesting the incident, a group of protesters tried to break into the parliament building.
The government said that the ‘anti-state action’ was staged and encouraged by the opposition.
More than 200 individuals were injured during the rally dispersal when law enforcers used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets.
Two individuals lost one of their eyes.
Mako Gomuri, 18, who lost her eye during the June 20 Tbilisi protests, will be provided with medical treatment abroad, Georgian government official Sozar Subari said. He stated the Georgian government will do its best for all the injured to recover.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that “destructive opposition forces,” which managed to transform the Georgian people’s “fair and sincere protest” into violence, fled the scene when unrest erupted and abandoned demonstrators.
14 protesters out of those detained during clashes with police last night have been sentenced to 12 days of administrative detention. They were sentenced for hooliganism and clashes with the police.
The United National Movement opposition party says that a demonstration on Rustaveli Avenue will be held at 7 p.m. today as the current Georgian Dream state leadership “has turned into a regime,” and the Georgian people “no longer want their leadership.” The opposition has three demands regarding top officials and elections.
A peaceful demonstration will be held in front of the parliament of Georgia in downtown Tbilisi later today, one year after the June 20 protest, triggered by the presence of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov in the Georgian parliament. Calling on citizens to join them at 7pm today, the organisers of the rally said they will follow all of the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has stated that one year ago on this day ‘an unfortunate mistake' made by the authorities was followed by public protest. In a statement released today the ruling party said the authorities acknowledged their mistake, while ‘the destructive opposition attempted to use this protest for their own political purposes and turned the wave of protest into a violent demonstration’.
One year after the June 20 protest, triggered by the presence of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov in the Georgian parliament, the United States Embassy to Georgia stands with the Georgian people and their call to end Russian aggression and strengthen Georgia’s democracy.