Right-wing protesters storm Pride festival in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi
As many as 2,000 anti-LGBTQ+ protesters stormed a Pride celebration in Georgia’s capital city Tbilisi on 8 July, resulting in its cancellation.
Many scuffled with police, while others ran to the stage and burned rainbow flags. Some waved religious symbols, with the Orthodox Christian clergy among those protesting.
Both the event’s organisers and Georgia’s president blamed anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric for causing the incident. “Today’s developments indicate that today’s planned events were pre-coordinated and agreed upon between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the violent group Alt-Info,” Tbilisi Pride said in a statement. “This was an organised attack by the Georgian government and the Putinist violent group on democracy, human rights and innocent people who wanted to enjoy the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. “We hope that everyone, for whom violence is unacceptable and who wants to see Georgia advancing on its democratic and European path, will condemn the events that unfolded today and will express solidarity.” READ MORE: Georgia’s LGBTQ+ community living in fear after violence President Salome Zurabishvili accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of failing to condemn its supporters who had openly incited hatred against the LGBTQ+ community.
However, Alexander Darakhvelidze, Interior Minister, claimed the area was difficult to police. “This was an open area, participants of the protest managed to bypass the security and find other ways to enter the event area,” he said, adding that successful evacuation efforts did take place. “We’ve been telling the ministry of interior and the police to start investigation immediately but they did not do it” In response to the attacks, Mark Clayton, the British
