Businessman says he stands behind ‘bloody’ opposition billboards
The billboard depicting opposition leaders and media managers reads:‘No to Natsis (‘Natsis’ is a short, in a way derogatory form of the opposition United National Movement), No to evil, No to betrayal’. Photo: Elene Khoshtaria/Facebook
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Businessman Mikheil Gabriadze has told Rustavi 2 TV that he and his friends stand behind ‘bloody’ billboards depicting opposition politicians.
Claiming that he does not belong to any political party, Gabriadze said the former ruling party – United National Movement – which is now the largest opposition party, should not return to power.
This is the personal position and decision of me and my friends”, the businessman told Rustavi 2.
Elene Khoshtaria, leader of Droa movement, who runs for City Council (Sakrebulo) chair on behalf of the united opposition has condemned the billboards.
.@GovernmentGeo’s priorities couldn’t be more clear. One of the few existing pro-vaccination billboard has just been covered with an anti-opposition poster that says: “No to Nazis (National Movement), No to evil, No to betrayal.”#Shame #GeorgiaCrisis #GVote21 pic.twitter.com/Ly6BDo4epa
— Droa (@MovementDroa) September 17, 2021
The billboards depicting opposition politicians, including ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and UNM mayoral candidate Nika Melia says: ‘No to Natsis (‘Natsis’ is a short, in a way derogatory form of the opposition UNM), No to evil, No to betrayal’.
The billboard depicts the media managers of two opposition-minded TV companies Mtavari Arkhi TV and TV Pirveli - Nika Gvaramia and Nodar Meladze.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said he also dislikes the billboards. However, he said they belong to advertising company ALMA and the City Hall has no right to interfere.
There will be no reaction [from our side]. Everyone has the right for expression within the law”, Kaladze stated.
Ruling party chair Irakli Kobakhidze has also noted that ‘everyone has the freedom of expression in this country’.
Someone may like this, someone – not. This seems to be the gift of grateful people to opposition, which has been known for the most brutal methods for nine years”, Kobakhidze said referring to UNM.
He however added that any form of expression which contains such offensive signs deepens polarization, but Kobakhidze believes the main people standing behind the polarization include ‘radical opposition’ with its TV companies.
Georgian law enforcers have detained one individual who allegedly shot at a banner of the United National Movement opposition party which depicts the party’s currently imprisoned leader Nika Melia.
The United National Movement opposition party says a banner depicting currently imprisoned leader Nika Melia was shot at.
The election banner of the united opposition’s joint candidate for Poti mayor, former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, has been damaged in Poti, Ugulava announced on Facebook. He stated that surveillance cameras are nearby and urged the country’s Interior Ministry to look into the issue.
Transparency International (TI) Georgia and International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) say violent posters in the streets of Tbilisi pose a threat to the health and life of the opposition and media representatives.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who now leads opposition For Georgia party, has underwent voluntary drug screening through analysis of blood and urin in Vienna-based Rudolfinerhaus private hospital.
Political movement Droa leader Elene Khoshtaria, who is the united opposition’s joint candidate for the City Council (Sakrebulo) chair in the upcoming local elections, has filed a complaint in the Central Election Commission (CEC) over billboards which portray opposition politicians as ‘bloody.’ The billboards feature opposition political leaders, including former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia who resigned earlier this year and the media managers of two opposition-minded TV channels Nika Gvaramia and Nodar Meladze from Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli which reads: ‘No to Natsis (referring to the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party), No to evil, No to betrayal.’
The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of Georgia has called on advertising company ALMA to restore Covid-19 vaccination banners which were replaced by anti-opposition political billboards on September 17. The NCDC states that the advertising company did not notify the body regarding the change of the banners, noting that the replacement of their banners ‘was possible only with the prior agreement of the parties.’
Advertising company ALMA has stated that they provided the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of Georgia with the space for the Covid-19 vaccination campaign free of charge in response to the latter’s appeal to restore the vaccination banners replaced by anti-opposition political billboards on September 17.
Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze stated earlier today that the replacement of a Covid-19 vaccination ad with a ‘billboard of hatred‘ is categorically unacceptable, referring to anti-opposition political billboards which appeared in Georgia on September 17. She said that ‘vaccination is a priority not only for the country but also for the world.’
Advertising company Alma has announced that it will ‘not put up hate speech banners’ and addressed the Georgian parliament with an initiative to ban hateful advertisements. Billboards depicting the opposition as ‘bloody’ appeared on September 17 in Tbilisi ahead of the October 2 municipal elections which depicted opposition political leaders, including former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and the media managers of two opposition-minded TV channels Nika Gvaramia and Nodar Meladze from Mtavari Arkhi and TV Pirveli.