17 civilians, 38 police officers injured after a clash in front of parliament
A view of ongoing protests outside the Parliament of Georgia, where protesters have clashed with police. Photo: Nino Alavidze/agenda.ge.
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The Healthcare Ministry has reported that 17 civilians and 38 police officers have been injured after in a late night clash in front of the parliament of Georgia as law enforcers used tear gas and rubber bullets to prevent the protesters from entering the building. The protesters were leaving the demonstration after the clash but soon they returned and continued rallying.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has said the protest of in front of the Parliament “has acceded the legally defined frames of the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and has become violent.”
The Interior Ministry will give due evaluation to the mass disorder and an attempt to invade in the building of the parliament. The Ministry will reach on each and every case of violation of law and crime”, the statement concludes.
It said although the Ministry has called on the demonstrators to “immediately stop violence" in front of the parliament of Georgia and “leave the territory”, they continue their attempt to enter the parliament and disobey to law enforcers.
The Ministry also explained in the statement that police used “proportional measures” to prevent “the invasion of the parliament building, the damage to the health of citizens and policemen and the physical confrontation”.
The United States Embassy in Georgia has offered its reactions to the developments in Tbilisi where protesters repeatedly clashed with police, saying the diplomatic mission closely followed the events and urged for calm.
President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has called for "calm" amid unrest in Tbilisi as protesting crowds have been dispersed by police using tear gas in front of the parliament building.
The protesters are leaving the demonstration in front of the parliament of Georgia in central Tbilisi as the law enforcers have used tear gas and rubber bullets. The number of injured is not officially announced yet, but Georgian media reports a dozen of people have been damaged.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has released a statement calling the demonstrators to “immediately stop violence" in front of the parliament of Georgia and “leave the territory”. The announcement followed soon after the Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia went to the parliament, calling on the protesters to obey the police.
The Georgian media reported that the number of journalists, cameramen and photographers representing a number of local news organisations is increasing after the recent clash in central Tbilisi.
Police used water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse rally on Rusteveli Avenue. Police Special Forces have marched on the Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi where the demonstrators had gathered to protest June 20 incident in the parliament of Georgia.
International media outlets have responded to the June 20 developments in Tbilisi where people held a protest rally during the visit of Russian MPs to Tbilisi. The BBC reports that Georgian opposition MPs called for protests in response to Russian MP Gavrilov’s decision to deliver a speech from the parliamentary speaker's seat.
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.
240 individuals were hospitalised after yesterday’s rally in Tbilisi, many of them with minor injuries, 80 were law enforcers, Deputy Health Minister Zaza Bokhua stated earlier today while visiting patients at the Ingorokva Clinic in Tbilisi.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir denounced “the violent incidents and mistreatment of media workers” during the June 20’s demonstration in Tbilisi, saying that “journalists’ safety must be ensured at all times”.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has awarded four medics for their high professionalism and dedication during the July 20 rally in Tbilisi to help the injured during the unrest.
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.