Georgian politicians are negative to police’s actions during Tbilisi riots

Law enforcers knew in advance the potential places of unrests during the LGBT action held in Tbilisi on July 5, but they wouldn’t prevent them. Georgian authorities used radicals to deal with their opponents; and the attacks themselves were organized to disrupt Euro-Atlantic integration, the Georgian politicians interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 1-5, in Tbilisi, activists of the LGBT community held the "LGBT Week", which they planned to end with a “March of Dignity” in the city centre. On July 5, several hundred opponents of the gay parade blocked Rustaveli Avenue and attacked journalists. The organizers of the "March of Dignity" ultimately abandoned the action altogether.

"The police failed to ensure safety in those places where clashes could occur. Everyone knew very well that clashes could happen near the “Tbilisi Pride” office, but there was no police there; thus, radicals climbed up there and smashed down this organization," Gigi Bokeriya, the head of the "European Georgia" Party, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent..

In his opinion, authorities had ordered law enforcers not to hamper the attacks. "This is the full responsibility of Prime Minister Garibashvili, who ordered the police not to raise their hands, as well as of Bishop Shio Mudjiri and Archbishop Jacob of Bodbe," Mr Bokeriya has concluded.

The action in support of victims of violence passed without incident, as the authorities and the clergy distanced themselves off the riots, said Gigi Ugulava, one of the leaders of the “European Georgia” Party. "The order concerned only [the riots on July 5]; while today, in order to prevent their subordinates from accessing administrative resources, they decided to blame Guram Palavandishvili for everything, as he was one of the organizers of the riots [on July 5]," Ms Ugulava told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 7, 2021 at 06:52 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.