One year after June 20 rally, peaceful demonstrators to gather in front of parliament
Anti-occupation activists, who have been protesting for several months since June 20, will gather in front of the parliament of Georgia later today. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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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.
- In pictures: Morning of June 20 protests outside Georgian parliament
- Human rights defender on June 20 protest: some politicians were ‘destructive, irresponsible, shameful’
The rally, which was dispersed by police after demonstrators ignored the appeal of the Interior Ministry to obey law enforcers and decided to break into the parliament building, left about 240 people injured; several demonstrators lost eyesight.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge achieve
Calling on citizens to join them at 7pm today, the organisers of the rally from Shame Movement said they will follow all of the recommendations of the World Health Organisation:
- everyone will wear face masks;
- 2-meter distance will be maintained;
- microphone will be disinfected before each speech.
Shame Movement has tweeted:
On #20June20, 7:00 PM We are gathering in front of the parliament to protest Russian occupation, @GovernmentGeo's #Shame and Injustice.
— Shame Movement (@shamemovement) June 16, 2020
We remember what you did last summer!
We will speak loud regardless of yesterday's punishment (₾1800 fine).
Event: https://t.co/y5Y90le3B2 pic.twitter.com/9rpnQPBZNA
The organizers said that one year later they believe that ‘defeating evil on this scale is only possible by standing together’
Instead of learning from their mistakes, the government intensified the declared war and opposed free thought with an administrative resource, government-controlled media and hundreds of fake accounts on social media”, the Shame Movement wrote on Facebook.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge archive
The Georgian Dream ruling party claims the 'justified and peaceful' protest of people was transformed into violence due to the 'provocative and destructive' actions by opposition members.
- June 20 demonstrators ‘unleash war’ against Georgian Dream ruling party founder Ivanishvili
- Interior Minister gives televised explanation of June 20 developments
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who served as interior minister during the June 20 rally dispersal said that one year ago the Georgian government prevented ‘a large-scale destabilization and chaos’ in the country.
The European Court of Human Rights has accepted applications prepared by the Human Rights Centre (HRC), asking the Prosecutor General’s Office to grant plaintiff status to journalists injured during the dispersal of June 20-21, 2019 protest demonstrations near the parliament of Georgia.
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.
The movement Shame, which was created after the June 20 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi, has presented its action plan in a rally on Rustaveli Avenue later today, promising ‘to defeat the authoritarian leadership’ of the founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party Bidzina Ivanishvili.
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.
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.
A peaceful rally in front of the parliament of Georgia in downtown Tbilisi commemorating the one-year anniversary of June 20 protest has ended. One year ago the rally, which was dispersed by police after demonstrators ignored the appeal of the Interior Ministry to obey law enforcers and decided to break into the parliament building, left about 240 people injured.
The police had a legitimate right to use force at the June 20-21 rally dispersal, but it remains to be seen how proportionate the force used was and whether the force or weapons used by the police were lawful, says Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria.