Georgian PM: rally dispersal lawful given ‘irresponsible politicians’ made people violate law
37 were detained during the dispersal for hooliganism and disobedience to police. Photo: Government's press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the rally dispersal on Monday and stated that police acted in full line with the law “as irresponsible politicians” made demonstrators violate the law and hamper the work of the legislative body.
We will do the same, in the full line with law, to respond to the irresponsible actions of politicians,” Gakharia said.
Gakharia stated that the freedom of expression and assembly is “fully protected in the country” and the government uses force only when demonstrators violate the law.
He stated that due to the actions of demonstrators MPs elected by people were not allowed in the parliament building and the body was unable to carry out its function.
The barriers on the streets and the fires set by demonstrators [to get warm] also created discomfort for ordinary citizens,” Gakharia said.
The protests were sparked after the reflection of the election bill last week. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agendage.
As to the question of why the MPs refused to hold a meeting to another location to avoid the dispersal, Gakharia answered that:
No one will go elsewhere when there is the parliament building. Political process must take place in parliament, media, at ballot boxes, and other locations with the protection of the freedom of expression and assembly,” Gakharia said.
Police dispersed the rally after warning the demonstrators “who violated the 9th article of the law on manifestation,” which bans blocking the entrances of parliament and hampering the work of the legislative body.
37 were detained during the dispersal for hooliganism and disobedience to police.
The dispersal left six injured, four demonstrators and two law enforcers.
The protests were sparked after the reflection of the election bill last week, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, offering the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020 instead of 2024.
The ruling party accepted the changes in the summer, during the June protests in Tbilisi, to calm crowds.
Protest rally, triggered by the parliament’s rejection of an electoral bill aimed at moving from a mixed system to a proportional one, has resumed on Monday evening after police used water cannon to disperse the demonstration. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry reported that a total of 37 people have been detained, while four demonstrator ansd two law enforcers - injured during the dispersal.
Law enforcers have opened all three entrances of the Georgian parliament to MPs after the dispersal of a rally in central Tbilisi with the use of water cannon. IPN news agency reports that MPs are starting to gather in the parliament building and the ruling Georgian Dream party has plans to hold a meeting which should have been conducted earlier today.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has used water cannon to disperse the rally in front of parliament in Tbilisi after demonstrators refused to leave the territory and allow MPs in the legislative body. The demonstrators, who are protesting the rejection of an election bill, refused to leave the area within 30 minutes, in the time given to them by the Interior Ministry.
Police have given 30 minutes to demonstrators to allow MPs in as the protesters have blocked all entrances of the legislative body starting yesterday, protesting the rejection of the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill on the move to a fully proportional electoral system, the Georgian Public Broadcaster reports.
A ruling Georgian Dream (GD) majoritarian MP Dimitri Khundadze has offered the country to switch to a fully majoritarian electoral system amid protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the rejection of the GD-proposed bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.
All 37 individuals who were detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in front of the parliament building of Georgia for hooliganism and disobedience to police have been temporarily released by a Tbilisi City Court judge late yesterday.Discussions around the cases are scheduled to resume later today at the same court.
The leader of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze has announced a “large-scale” rally on Monday, November 25 in front of parliament, adding that demonstrators will ‘peacefully block the entrances’ of the legislative body on November 26.He stated that the opposition “is not happy” about blocking the parliament activities. However, “the current state leadership has left no other way."
Demonstrators who have been protesting the rejection of the election bill since November 14 have gathered in front of the administration building of the government of Georgia in central Tbilisi earlier today, demanding snap parliamentary elections with the use of a fully proportional electoral system, conducted by an interim government.Protests in Tbilisi were sparked after the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill last week was scrapped.
Ten demonstrators detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi have been sent to five-13 days in prison for ‘hooliganism and disobedience to police.’
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party has responded again to ongoing electoral turmoil and stated that 2020 parliamentary elections will be conducted in a mixed electoral system and the “topic is closed.” However, the party said that it will not nominate its candidates in particular majoritarian districts in the 2020 parliamentary elections and will allow opposition candidates to win the race.