Anti-LGBT mob storms pride event in Georgia's capital Tbilisi
LGBT+ rights are protected by law in Georgia, but many people face widespread discrimination in the socially conservative, predominantly Orthodox Christian country.Georgia's deputy interior minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said police tried to stop the demonstrators but could not hold them all back.But event organisers accused the authorities of colluding with the demonstrators to disrupt the festival.Mariam Kvaratskhelia told the Reuters news agency that far-right groups had publicly incited violence against LGBT+ activists in the days leading up to the pride festival and said the police and government had not investigated."I definitely think this [disruption] was a pre-planned, coordinated action between the government and the radical groups," she said."We think this operation was planned in order to sabotage the EU candidacy of Georgia."Be the first to get Breaking NewsInstall the Sky News app for freeGeorgia hopes to join the European Union but its ruling Georgian Dream party has faced increased criticism from rights groups and the EU over its perceived drift towards authoritarianism.The police and government did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment on Ms Kvaratskhelia's claims.Read more:Pride in London 2023: Thousands march from Hyde Park as part of capital's LGBT paradeEuropean Union's first openly gay head of state sworn in as Latvia's presidentGeorgia's President Salome Zourabichvili, a frequent critic of the government, also condemned the police, saying they had failed in their duty to uphold people's right to assemble safely.Nobody was injured during the incident.
