Ruling party, opposition respond to attacks on activists, media during Tbilisi Pride week
55 people were injured after 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 on July 5. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda/ge
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Members of the ruling Georgian Dream party and opposition have responded to violent attacks by right-wing groups on civil activists and media in front of the Georgian parliament and elsewhere on July 5-6.
Ruling party MP and Vice Parliament Speaker Gia Volski says that nothing can overshadow Georgia’s achievements on its path to European integration, including its Association Agreement with the EU and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), as well as visa-free travel with the EU.
Our future is in Euro-Atlantic integration. Neither the activities of the pride, nor the aggressive groups can change the reality we live in”, Volski said.
He considers that the activities of LGBT activists as well as the violent attacks from the counter protesters are ‘unacceptable’.
Head of Georgian Dream faction, MP Mamuka Mdinaradze condemns violence against journalists and cameramen and the removal and burning of the EU flags. The ruling party MP is confident that police will thoroughly investigate every violation and the violations will be brought to justice.
Right wing activists who had gathered on Rustaveli Avenue this morning to protest the Tbilisi Pride march scheduled for 6 p.m. later today attacked journalists and cameramen on the spot, injuring dozens of media representatives. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Mdinaradze also considers that the ‘radical opposition’ is standing behind the organisers of the pride.
There is a vast majority in Georgia who place the state interests first and give priority to national identity… But violence triggers anti-western sentiments… The entire society should agree that the fight against the church, which is unfortunately frequent in recent years from certain political forces and groups, should also be condemned”, Mdinaradze stated.
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who currently chairs opposition For Georgia party, says the recent developments in Tbilisi during the pride week is the responsibility of the government.
This was a political issue - very hard to watch - the state which is being collapsed, , when the state was unable to protect neither its constitution, nor its citizens from physical violence, journalists - from being chased.... What we saw was unbelievable - it was an example of inability”, Gakharia told journalists earlier today.
Gakharia said the ruling party is trying to put its responsibility on everyone else, including the citizens, church, Europe, etc. He also added that it was not a surprise that the Georgian church would be against Tbilisi Pride. However, it is the obligation of the state to ensure that its citizens can peacefully exercise their freedom of expression, without any violence.
If anyone thinks that being European means the refusal from your own traditions and the Georgian identity, is a mistake and a lie. This is the kind of a narrative that our northern neighbours are offering us”, Gakharia said.
For Georgia member Kakhaber Kemoklidze has meanwhile noted that when violent groups teared the EU flag to pieces, ‘which has been hoisted over the one of the most strategically important state institutions in the country - the Parliament of Georgia’, is much more than an ordinary fact.
Kakhaber Kemoklidze said:
It is the second time when the aggressive protesters strip off the EU flag in front of the ???????? Parliament. There are no coincidences in this world, especially coincidences for the second time! It’s a very worrisome fact and needs particular attention from the security services!
— Kakhaber Kemoklidze (@KakhaKemoklidze) July 6, 2021
If we look at it through intelligence and security prism, the overall picture becomes even clearer - the Russian special services are admirers of symbolism. Yesterday's fact is a clear confirmation of this in the context when today the EU Commissioner Varhelyi is paying an official visit to Georgia”, Kemoklidze wrote on Facebook.
He thinks that it is time ‘to do the real job and respond’ to this incident with an in-depth investigation. However, Kemoklidze adds that ‘everything as always depends on the political leadership and the political will’.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Leader of Lelo for Georgia party, Mamuka Khazaradze has also condemned the removal of the EU flags in front of the parliament building by right-wing groups yesterday.
We are standing at a crossroad between slavery… or a free state… The country is facing serious challenges… The Georgian people should make a really free choice to break this closed circle and sent Bidzina Ivanishvili and his Georgian DReam to pension”, Khazaradze said.
He, like other opposition politicians, lays the responsibility of June 5-6 violence on Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvii, ‘who has triggered attacks on journalists’ as well as Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri.
Member of Lleo for Georgia, MP Natsvlishvili meanwhile says that the developments in Tbilisi on July 5-6 are the part of the ruling party’s attempts to split the society and spread hostility leading to civil confrontation.
United National Movement member Levan Bezhashvili told Palitra TV that the Tbilisi Pride counter rally was ‘a deliberate action of so-called protesters’, which was ‘encouraged, [and] planned’ by its organisers from the right-wing groups.
MP Vakhtang Megrelishvili from Girchi says his team is thinking of using their constitutional rights and buy weapons to prevent themselves from possible attacks from outsiders.
Violent right-wing groups took over the protest space outside the Parliament of Georgia last night 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. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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 more than 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.
Georgian Economy Minister Natia Turnava has visited a Polish citizen in Aladashvili Clinic today who was attacked by activists of a right-wing group during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5.
Three out of 53 journalists injured at Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5 remain in hospital, reports Interpressnews agency.
"There is no discrimination against differing opinions or lifestyles in Georgia”, Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili said earlier today during a meeting with European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi. PM Irakli Garibashvili underscored that the foreign policy course of Georgia is Euro-Atlantic and is supported by the vast majority of the population, which ‘will not change.’
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.
Defiling of the flags of the EU and NATO, as well as flags and other symbols of foreign organisations Georgia belongs to, may become punishable in Georgia.