Right-wing groups take over protest space, burn EU and LGBT flags after solidarity demonstrators, reporters escorted out by police
Demonstrators of the right-wing counter-protest seen outside the parliament after taking over the space late in the night. Photo: Nino Alavidze/agenda.ge.
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Violent right-wing groups took over the protest space outside the Parliament of Georgia and burned the European Union and LGBT flags, after the peaceful rally against violent events of the previous day, as well as media crews, were escorted by law enforcement away from Rustaveli Avenue.
After hours of tension, attacks by the right-wing groups on police, and injuries caused by rocks and pieces of iron bars thrown from their ranks in direction of law enforcement and the silent protest across the road, the developments of the night seemed to have come to a close.
With participants of the solidarity rally - which included political opposition, independent citizens and queer activists - having left the space outside the parliament venue, and journalists having been moved by officers away from the site, the aggressive groups of the counter-demonstration again took over the location.
Right-wing agressive groups occupied the space in front of #Georgia's Parliament building in #Tbilisi. They took down the EU flag and have burned it. pic.twitter.com/WmuSU7PPTI
— agenda.ge (@agenda_ge) July 6, 2021
They removed the EU flag - raised by the solidarity rally - for the second time in two days, with footage and reports indicating it being burnt on the site. A brief footage of a piece of fabric burning on the steps leading to the parliament venue also showed a protester cheering and wishing the same fate to queer individuals.
Even though police were seeing donning riot gear earlier in the night, and footage from Rustavi 2 channel showed law enforcement vehicles equipped with water cannons entering the avenue, there was no dispersal of the right-wing demonstrators using these means during the night.
Participants of the solidarity rally had asked the police to use riot units against the violent groups that repeatedly attempted to break through police lines and physical barricades and enter the territory designated for the protest involving queer activists.
The European Union flag is seen being lowered on a pole outside the parliament venue after the violent groups take over the protest spot late in the night. Image via Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Police did make widespread arrests from the aggressive group throughout the night, with dozens seen forcefully taken away from the avenue in law enforcement vans.
Tuesday's events followed developments on the previous day, when the right-wing groups gathered outside the parliament building to prevent the Tbilisi Pride march, a closing event of the week-long programme for highlighting queer rights, from taking place.
After their violent attacks caused injuries to around 50 reporters present on the scene to cover the demonstrations, the group also stormed the Pride organisers' offices. As a result, the latter announced the march would not be held on the day due to safety concerns.
The subsequent citizen rally in solidarity with the injured journalists and queer activists started on Tuesday on the avenue, with the counter-demonstrations also launching their action against the former in the evening.
Police have detained 100 activists of violent right-wing groups who shut down a ‘silent’ demonstration held outside the Parliament of Georgia yesterday to protest the violent events of July 5. "At this stage, 100 people have been detained. Of the detainees, 68 have been released…while 32 remain in temporary detention”, reports the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
Injuries to citizens and law enforcement have been reported from ongoing protests on Rustaveli Avenue as items including stones and pieces of iron rods have been observed thrown from violent right-wing counter-demonstrators. Participants of the peaceful protest against July 5 violent scenes have reportedly asked police to use riot units - located nearby according to law enforcement officers - against the violent groups whose attacks have left police professionals and citizens injured.
Police have made arrests on Rustaveli Avenue in Georgia's capital, where a protest involving political opposition and independent citizens against the July 5 violence is being countered by a rally of right-wing groups involved in Monday's incidents against Tbilisi Pride organisers and reporters deployed to cover it.
A journalist has been attacked at a "silent" demonstration outside the Parliament of Georgia held to protest the violent events of July 5, InterPressNews agency has reported. IPN said an unidentified person from a group that interfered with journalists at the scene had attacked the agency's reporter. A "number of people" have been removed from the area by the police, the news agency said, however "tension" was still observed at the site of the protest.
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.
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.
Academy Award- and BAFTA-winning American filmmaker Spike Lee responded to a question at a Cannes Film Festival press conference about violent attacks on reporters and a queer event in Tbilisi this week by urging journalists to cover the developments.
Former US ambassadors to Georgia William Courtney and Kenneth Ialovich have responded to the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and noted that the accusation of a drug overdose as the possible reason behind his death is a tactic used by autocratic governments. Lashkarava was violently attacked by right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5 and found dead at home later on July 11.
The Georgian parliament has adopted a bill which imposes a fine of 1,000 GEL (about $322/€285) for defacing the flags of the EU, NATO and countries with which Georgia has diplomatic relations, along with symbols of international organisations.