Georgia: "Pride Parade" in Tbilisi canceled after outbreaks of violence

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Right-wing demonstrators against LGBTQ parades in Tbilisi

Photo: IRAKLI GEDENIDZE / REUTERS

The "Pride Parade" planned for Monday in Tbilisi has been canceled after violent clashes between opponents of the demonstration and the Georgian police.

"The march will not take place today," said the organizers of the "March for Dignity" move on Facebook.

"We cannot risk human lives," it was said to justify.

The streets are "full of violent attackers."

Several hundred opponents of the demonstration for the rights of the LGBTQ community had already gathered in the morning near the parliament of the capital of the Caucasian republic. As seen on television footage, some of them had violent clashes with the police and also attacked journalists. The organizers also stated that their offices had been attacked by "homophobes".

Videos on social media showed people climbing the organization's office building and destroying rainbow flags posted there. The police were there, but did not react, as the organizer Tamaz Sozashvili announced on Twitter. “No words can explain my feelings and thoughts. This is my place of work, my home, my family. Left alone in the face of gross violence, ”wrote the activist. He accused his government of failing to adequately protect peaceful citizens in exercising their freedom of assembly.

Georgia is considered a very conservative country, the Orthodox Church is extremely powerful in the Caucasus republic.

Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili also spoke out against the “Pride Parade”.

He pointed to the danger of clashes because such demonstrations were "unacceptable to a large part of Georgian society".

Activists then accused him of encouraging right-wing groups with his testimony.

mfh / AFP