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The “march for dignity,” the prime minister should say, has been canceled after protesters held anti-protest rallies in Tbilisi.
Georgia’s LGBTQ campaigners canceled a “Dignity March” event in Tbilisi on Monday after counter-protesters attacked and tried offices.
The Tbilisi Pride group has accused the government of failing to protect the “basic rights” of the people amid unrest, as the campaign and journalists have been attacked, according to local media.
It was not immediately clear how many people were injured, or to what extent.
The campaign posted photos and videos on social media, showing the crowd entering the Tblisi Pride premises and demolishing the Pride flag in front of the crowd in front of the building.
Pro-Putin groups are attacking the Tbilisi Pride Office
Without resistance from police, pro-Putin groups were upset @TbilisiPride Vandalizing downtown Tbilisi# TbilisiPride21 pic.twitter.com/0EOWaxVaoE
– NEW Formula | English (@FormulaGe) July 5, 2021
Activists launched a five-day Pride celebration last Thursday, ignoring criticism from the church and conservatives, saying the events had no place in Georgia.
While authorities on Monday promised to support the marches, renowned community leader Irakli Garibashvili and the Georgian prime minister opposed the rally.
Tblisi Pride said it could not move forward with Monday’s march on “streets full of oppressors” aided by the government, leaders of Orthodox churches and Russian anti-LGBTQ forces, and warned that “it would endanger people’s lives,” local media reported. reported.
The PM has warned of a “civil confrontation”
Hours earlier, Garibashvili had claimed that the “majority” of the people were against the march.
He warned that the event was in danger of creating a “civil confrontation” and accused opposition politician and former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and his opposition National Movement (UNM) of organizing the march in a bid to sow “unrest” in the country, local media reported.
Tbilisi Pride Director Giorgi Tabagari has accused the prime minister’s claims of being “unbelievable”.
“The embarrassing statement, and the horrible irresponsibility of the prime minister, worsens the already tense situation,” he tweeted.
AFTERNOON @GharibashviliGe I have just stated this # TbilisiPride21 Organized by Mikheil Saakashvili and UNM .. incredible!
The embarrassing statement, and the tremendous irresponsibility of the PM, exacerbates the already tense situation. #Georgia
– Giorgi Tabagari (@Tabagari) July 5, 2021
Tabagari told the AFP news agency that he hoped the march would be “of historical significance and demonstrate that attitudes towards sexual minorities are happily transforming in Georgia.”
“We feel more and more solidarity from Georgian society and politicians, but there are still violent homophobic groups,” he said.
“State failure”
Social views have become increasingly liberal in Georgia in recent years and there have been numerous Pride incidents.
But the country remains very conservative, as the powerful Orthodox Church clashed with previous Western-leaning governments over social issues.
The church called on its followers on Monday evening to gather for a popular prayer against the Pride March.
Last week, U.S. and EU diplomatic missions in Georgia and embassies in 16 other countries issued a joint document calling on the Georgian government to “guarantee the right to peaceful assembly to all people in Georgia without exception.”
NGOs accused Georgia officials of failing to prevent Monday’s violence.
Giorgi Gogia, director of the Human Rights Watch division of Europe and Central Asia, said the forced cancellation was a “major setback” and accused authorities of “accepting and accepting” the situation.
The Georgia branch of Transparency International said at least 20 journalists had been attacked in the riots.
“It simply came to our notice then [the government’s] inactivity is the impetus for more violence against the media, ”the group said.
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