Tbilisi Mayoralty demands Zaza Saralidze stop protest action in front of parliament

In Tbilisi, a Christmas tree to celebrate the New Year will be installed in the territory in front of the parliament building, where Zaza Saralidze, a father of a killed schoolboy, has been holding his protest action since September 10, the Mayoralty announces. Zaza Saralidze has called on the Mayoralty to cede a place and noted that the protesters will not interfere with preparations for the holiday.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 26, Saralidze was taken to hospital after his clash with a policeman who tried to prevent him from setting up a tent outside the parliament building.

"On November 1, I addressed the Mayoralty with a notification that the protest action would be continued and tents would be set up. However, the official response letter signed by Mayor Kakha Kaladze has informed me that starting from December 7, we should hold a rally in another place, since there will be preparations for a New Year celebration which traditionally takes place in front of the parliament," Zaza Saralidze has said today at a briefing on the air in the Georgian "Rustavi-2" TV Company.

Zaza Saralidze has noted that he treated the letter from the Mayoralty as a response to the demands of restoring justice and punishing the persons guilty of two killings. The authorities do not intend to undertake anything and conduct an investigation, the man believes.

The protester has called on the Tbilisi Mayoralty to give the protesters a chance to continue their action in front of the parliament building. He has assured officials that the protestors will not disturb anyone.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 9, 2018 at 04:19 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.