During the week of July 1-5, the union of LGBTQI people and their allies, Tbilisi Pride, as well as the movement Shame and other civic activists organised Pride Week and held various events of celebration. On July 5th, the concluding event “March for Dignity” was planned to take place in central part of the city. Since the morning of July 5th, the anti-LGBTQ violent groups started to march on the central Rustaveli Avenue, in order to prevent the March for Dignity of LGBTQ activists. The anti-LGBTQ groups were resorting to mass violence, especially targeting the journalists - 53 representatives of various media outlets1 , including the journalists and camera operators were physically injured while covering the anti-LGBTQ violent protest. There was critical lack of policemen in the course of the violent march. In numerous instances, the police failed to protect the journalists who were severely beaten by the violent protesters. The violent mobs also attacked the offices of organisers of the Pride Week, the union Tbilisi Pride and movement Shame. There was critical lack of police presence in these instances as well, allowing the violent attack and ransacking of offices of the organisers of Pride Week. The Delegation of the European Union in Georgia and the USA Embassy in Georgia shared statements to condemn the violence.
Amid the widespread violence, the organisers of the Pride Week decided to cancel the March for Dignity, planned to take place at 6:00 pm on July 5. At approximately 2:30 pm, the organisers came to the building of Human Rights House Tbilisi where offices of 5 NGOs are situated, including that of Human Rights Center on the third floor. After the arrival of LGBTQ activists, the anti-LGBTQ violent groups appeared soon and surrounded the premises of our building. They threw an explosive device inside the yard of the building which physically injured a civic activist present in the yard.
As of now, only 3 people have been arrested in relation to the violent attacks carried out against the journalists on July 5, under the criminal charges of Violence and Illegal Interference into the Journalistic Activity2 . 8 people have been detained for the administrative offenses3 .
The events of July 5 demonstrate that the state authorities have failed to fulfill one of the fundamental principles of democratic state – ensuring freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly and manifestation for all members of society.
The law enforcement authorities called on the organisers of peaceful action, Pride March, not to hold a march “in an open, public space” 4 , due to high security risks. However, they allowed the hate groups to freely march on Rustaveli Avenue and exercise violent acts against numerous representatives of media. Instead of fulfilling its positive obligation and enabling the peaceful assembly of LGBTQ activists, the state allowed the holding of violent march. This completely contradicts the essence of right to peaceful assembly and manifestation.
The violence in the central part of the capital continued on July 6 as well. Different groups of society held the action of solidarity in front of the Parliament Building on Rustaveli Avenue in the evening of July 6, in support of those people who were injured during the previous day. The violent counter demonstrators soon gathered near the surrounding premises and applied wide range of violent means in order to dissolve the peaceful solidarity action, including physically pushing the police cordon, as well as throwing stones, bottles full of stones and even explosives to the direction of the peaceful action, as well as journalists. Tens of protesters were arrested and the special forces appeared at the protest area at about midnight. Nevertheless, it was the peaceful protesters who had to stop the action and leave the protest area due to high security risks. The violent mob took place of the peaceful protesters in front of the Parliament Building at the end and demonstratively tore down and burned the flag of European Union.
This update was prepared by the Human Rights Center Georgia within the project Inspires Georgia.
Photo source: Tbel Abuseridze