Georgian, foreign officials condemn violent attacks on media, activists during Tbilisi Pride counter rally
Twenty-one embassies and international organisations in Georgia have condemned violence in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, as well as the 'failure of the government leaders and religious officials' to condemn this violence. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has called everyone to refrain from violent attacks against 'adults, women, tourists' following today's demonstration of right-wing groups against LGBT people and their supporters.
It is unacceptable to run in the streets like that and to be so aggressive. Everyone should take into consideration that journalists need to be protected”, Kaladze wrote on Facebook.
He said, media are untouchable in the hottest places in the world and to express violence against journalists is shameful.
- SEE IN PICTURES : Organisers of Right-wing groups, clergy attack reporters, storm Tbilisi Pride organisers' office ahead of planned queer rights march
A total of 55 people, including 53 representatives of various media have become the targets of right-wing groups in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi earlier today protesting Tbilisi Pride events.
Eight people have been detained for violence against journalists and attacks on the offices of Tbilisi Pride and the Shame Movement, as well as an explosion at the headquarters of a Tbilisi-based human rights organisations during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally today. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic has condemned the attacks:
The violence v activists &journalists in #TbilisiPride21 is a woeful illustration of repeated threats #LGBTI ppl face in #Georgia.Authorities have the #humanrights obligations to uphold freeexpression&assembly,ensure demonstrators& journalists’ safety & punish the perp of attacks
— Commissioner for Human Rights (@CommissionerHR) July 5, 2021
Member of the European Parliament Viola von Cramon said it is the obligation of the state to protect the right of peaceful assembly and expression to everyone:
When Georgian leaders @GeorgianDream41, instead of acting in their mandate as guarantors of Constitution, speculate with this topic & fail to properly condemn the perpetrators, they only encourage the violence. No wonder that police was unable or unwilling to protect the victims.
— Viola von Cramon (@ViolavonCramon) July 5, 2021
Co-founder of Tbilisi Pride Mariam Kvaratskhelia, who currently resides in the United Kingdom, has also expressed her solidarity to journalists, Tbilisi Pride organisers and civil activists:
Twitting that violence on media and journalists is unacceptable and not mentioning LGBT+ people, activists and other peaceful citizens is not ok. It is homophobic! Violence is unacceptable towards anyone. My solidarity to journalists, Tbilisi Pride organisers and civi activists.
— Mariam Kvaratskhelia (@mariamikvara) July 5, 2021
As a co-founder of @TbilisiPride I am honestly scared to return to Georgia from the UK where I temporarily reside. Tbilisi Pride office was completely destroyed by far-rights. They are searching for Tbilisi Pride organisers and activists in order to prosecute them. It is a hell!
— Mariam Kvaratskhelia (@mariamikvara) July 5, 2021
Director of Tbilisi Pride Giorgi Tabagari says right-wing groups could not have mobilised their forces to disrupt pride events today without support from state.
Senaki and Chkhorotskhu Metropolitan Shio Mujiri, who is Patriarch Ilia II’s ‘locum tenens’ has addressed the crowd at Kashveti Church after the violent attacks of the right-wing groups, that the Georgian society will again unite against LGBT activities anytime in the future.
Eight people have been detained for violence against journalists and attacks on the offices of Tbilisi Pride and the Shame Movement, as well as an explosion at the headquarters of a Tbilisi-based human rights organisations during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally today, the Georgian Interior Ministry reports.
Director of Tbilisi Pride Giorgi Tabagari says right-wing groups could not have mobilised their forces to disrupt pride events today without support from state.
A Palitranews cameraman who was attacked by right wing activists earlier today has undergone an operation at New Hospitals and is being taken to the med ward at this time. Head of the New Hospitals emergency service Mikheil Beriashvili said that the patient had a head injury and a broken nose.
Journalists and media representatives in various regions of Georgia held media solidarity rallies earlier today following the violent attacks against journalists yesterday at the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally by right-wing groups.
State officials, current and former diplomats and media rights organisations have been reacting to the developments in Tbilisi on Monday, where a right-wing demonstration against a planned Tbilisi Pride march for queer rights attacked reporters gathered to cover the eventually cancelled event before also storming offices of Pride organisers.
Three out of 11 right-wing activists detained on July 5 for attacking journalists will face criminal charges, while two detainees have been sentenced to three days of administrative detention.
Georgian opposition parties have condemned the failure of the Georgian government to adequately respond to violence at yesterday’s Tbilisi Pride counter rally. The Georgian government has issued several statements to the effect, with Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava responded to yesterday’s violent attacks on journalists by right-wing groups and called it shameful.
The US Department of State has called on Georgian leaders and law enforcement ‘to protect the constitutional right to freedom of expression’ following violent attacks against journalists and civic activists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally by right-wing protesters on July 5.
The Georgian authorities and religious representatives have failed to counter homophobic rhetoric, following violent attacks by right-wing groups against civil activists, community members and journalists in central Tbilisi on July 5, a joint statement of the Members of the European Parliament on the cancellation of the Tbilisi Pride march says.
Dozens of pro-western Georgian winemakers have condemned homophobia, violence and anti-western attitudes earlier today, following the violent events of July 5-6, where right-wing groups physically and verbally assaulted journalists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally, removed the EU flag twice from its position in front of parliament and burnt it. The statement of winemakers underscored that the biggest enemy for Georgia is intolerance of minorities, ‘which has had severe consequences for us in the past and will only threaten us with destruction and stagnation in the future,’ the announcement stated.
The safety and freedom of expression and assembly of “each individual” will be protected during the upcoming Tbilisi Pride Week, Georgia’s Interior Ministry announced on Monday.