Opposition demands gov’t answer questions following violence at Tbilisi Pride counter rally
Parliamentary faction Charles Michel's have asked for a hearing for Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri to answer the opposition’s questions. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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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.
There can be no justification for what we saw yesterday and it must be condemned by everyone…The actions taken in the name of religion are simply unacceptable”, said Kuchava.
Parliamentary faction Charles Michel's have asked for a hearing for Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri to answer the opposition’s questions.
According to our faction, this was an organised crime by the government, which was also planned by the Patriarchate, by organising specific marginal groups on Rustaveli Avenue”, said Khatuna Samnidze from the faction of Charles Michel's Reforms Group.
- NGOs, opposition: inaction of gov’t encourages violence against Tbilisi Pride activists, journalists
Right-wing protesters on the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally in front of the parliament building. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The leader of Strategy Aghmashenebeli party Giorgi Vashadze and Mamuka Khazaradze from the faction Lelo - Partnership for Georgia also accused the leaders of the Georgian government of encouraging violence with their statements.
The government should resign at such time...Yesterday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs completely lost its face and could not protect the citizens of Georgia”, Giorgi Vashadze said.
The policy pursued by the Georgian Dream is a Russian policy, It brings the country to a standstill, deepens hopelessness and nihilism... It is an attempt to suppress free speech”, said Khazaradze.
Member of the For Georgia political party Natia Mezvrishvili pointed out that the government failed to manage the risks and the state representatives were ‘stopped’.
It was the responsibility of the authorities not to encourage violence but to prevent it. Unfortunately, they could not do that. Now they will punish or not punish someone exemplarily and ostensibly and unfortunately the image of the country will suffer again”, Mezvrishvili said.
Overall 11 people have been detained for violence against journalists and for the attack on the offices of Tbilisi Pride and the Shame movement.
Organisers of the Tbilisi Pride called off the scheduled march on July 5 due to ‘the inaction of the executive power’.