Advertising company Alma refuses to place hateful banners, calls for ban of such ads
Several complaints were filed in the Central Election Commission (CEC) over the billboards, however, the CEC found no legal basis for drawing up a violation report on the placement of anti-opposition banners. Photo: Netgazeti.ge.
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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.
The ‘bloody’ billboards read: ‘No to Natsis (referring to the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party), No to evil, No to betrayal.’
We have made a unilateral decision and Alma will refuse to place billboards containing hate speech which aim to polarize the public,” the statement of the advertising company reads.
The company also said that such a decision might lead to ‘legal proceedings against the company,’ however, Alma says that their ‘decision is final in relation to any subject.’
The company addressed the parliament on October 3 regarding the issue and asked to ‘enable the advertising agency to legitimately refuse to provide advertising services to the advertiser’ in such cases.’
Several complaints were filed in the Central Election Commission (CEC) over the billboards, however, the CEC found no legal basis for drawing up a violation report on the placement of anti-opposition banners.
Businessman Mikheil Gabriadze claimed that he and his friends are the authors of the ‘bloody’ billboards.
The banners were removed from all locations in Georgia after the municipal elections on October 2 took place.
The Georgian State Audit Office has launched an investigation to find out who stands behind ‘bloody’ billboards depicting opposition politicians. The billboards depicting opposition politicians, including ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, ex-Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and UNM mayoral candidate Nika Melia, say: ‘No to Natsis [a short, often derogatory form of the opposition UNM), No to evil, No to betrayal’.
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.’
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.’
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.
Lithuanian members of European parliament (MEP) Andrius Kubilius and Rasa Jukneviciene call on all Georgian political forces ‘to start building bridges enabling normal democratic political dialogue, return to the pro-European reform track and focus on achieving very much needed progress in country’s development for the benefit of the Georgian people’.
The Georgian parliament’s committee on legal affairs has supported the appeal of advertising company Alma to ban hateful advertisements earlier today. Based on Alma’s legislative proposal, the electoral code or other legislative acts should be amended in order to restrict or prohibit the placement of hate speech banners in self-governing cities and municipalities.
The opposition European Georgia party has demanded advertising company Alma put up their banners and to fulfil the terms of their contract. European Georgia wants to place the banners where the billionaire and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Bidzina Ivanishvili is depicted as a pig. The billboard calls on Georgian citizens ‘not to become an animal farm and stop being understanding’ in a reference to the George Orwell novel Animal Farm.
The European Georgia opposition party sues advertising company Alma for violation of the terms of their contract and refusal to put up the party’s banners. European Georgia wanted to display banners in which the billionaire and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is depicted as a pig. The billboard calls on Georgian citizens ‘not to become an animal farm’, a reference to the George Orwell novel Animal Farm.
MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party have proposed amendments to the country’s Law on Broadcasting to include ban on ads or other media content containing hate speech or calls to terrorism.