Georgian ruling party official claims “violence at rally initiated by demonstrators”, calling it “systemic in nature”

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday claimed the violence at protest rallies, held outside the Parliament building in the capital Tbilisi, against the Government's recent decision to suspend the country’s European Union accession talks until 2028 was “initiated by demonstrators” and was “systemic in nature, organised by several people at least”.

Addressing yesterday’s incident at the rally where one of the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs physically assaulted one of the protesters, Mdinaradze condemned such behaviour, calling it “hard to watch” and stressing such actions only “serve to hurt the image of hundreds and thousands of police officers who execute their work with great patience”, as well as that of the “Georgian state”.

“We distance ourselves from and condemn all kinds of violence regardless of who it is directed against. [...] of course, it is especially immoral when it is done against a police officer, journalist, camera operator or any other person which oftentimes is very hard to watch”, he added.

Mdinadarze also expressed gratitude to the Interior Ministry, its personnel and each police officer, who “with precise, through honest discharge of their professional duties serve their country" and “strive to tolerate every physical or verbal abuse directed at them by demonstrators”.