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’.
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.
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.
Georgian president condemns violence during today’s events
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has released a statement following today's events in the capital city of Tbilisi in which she condemns the violence and persecution of people on the basis of difference of opinion, sexuality or gender identity.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says that ‘political interests’ and not the interests of the LGBT community stood behind today's Tbilisi Pride march.
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.