Police implementing “necessary preventive measures” to avoid violence at transparency bill protests - Interior Ministry

Georgian Interior Ministry on Tuesday said the police officers had implemented “all necessary preventive measures” to avoid violence and mass confrontation, as well as to provide the citizens, protesting the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence outside the Parliament in the country’s capital Tbilisi on Monday, with the right of assembly and demonstration.

Considering the number of participants of the rally [on Monday, as a result of the agreement reached with organisers, police cordoned off Rustaveli Avenue, so that the participants of the demonstration could have the opportunity to express their protest without restrictions”, the Ministry noted.

The protest was organised in parallel to the meeting of the Parliament’s Committee on Legal Issues, which was discussing the legislative initiative which calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

After calling on the participants at the rally from one of the speakers to march around the legislative body and station around the building, while the work process was still in progress at the Parliament, the police corridors were placed near the entrances of the Parliament, the body said, explaining the decision was made to prevent the “supposed picketing of exit doors” of the building, as well as to prevent “violent acts and maintain the rule of law at the ground”.

The Ministry stressed that the rally participants had the opportunity to express their protest on Rustaveli Avenue “without any restrictions”.

• Police say 14 detained, officer injured during transparency bill protests

Despite numerous calls from the side of the law enforcement officers, participants of the rally still tried to break through the police cordons, which was followed by administrative detention of 14 people”, the Ministry noted, adding it had released four individuals, while 10 detainees had been transferred to a temporary detention facility.

The body also said a police officer was injured during the violent actions from the side of the protesters, reminding the public that similar calls of picketing the exit doors of the Parliament were made during the manifestation in March last year, where the transparency bill was protested, which resulted in “attacks against police, both with blunt objects and the Molotov cocktails [last March]”, and with the ruling party retracting the draft law amid protests.

The massive violation of public order continued for several hours. In order to restore the rule of law, the police administered proportional force and special means several times”, the body emphasised, citing that the rally participants had set fire to the building, damaged the protective barriers and manhole covers, and had made attempts to break into the legislative body.

The employees of the relevant units are mobilised near the legislative body, where the protesters are gathered today as well, to “ensure the conduction of the protest rally in a peaceful environment and maintain the rule of law” today as well, the Ministry noted and urged the organisers and participants of the gathering “not to violate the law, to express protest in peaceful forms and follow the instructions of police”.

The bill has been reintroduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party after its retraction following protests last year, and has been met with criticism from the opposition, the domestic NGO sector and a part of Georgia’s foreign partner states and diplomatic representations.