MIA calls on Tbilisi Pride participants to refuse to hold March of Dignity in public space
The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on Tbilisi Pride participants to refuse to hold March of Dignity in public space on Rustaveli Avenue due to the scale of the rallies planned by the opposing groups.
"Various groups started gathering and protesting on Rustaveli Avenue this morning. In parallel to the gathering, police officers are mobilized in the capital and are working under a special regime for safety reasons to protect public order.
Some individuals gathered at the rally on Rustaveli Avenue committed violent actions against representatives of the media and obstructed their professional activities. As a result of the response of the police officers on Rustaveli, the representatives of the media are located in a safe place at this stage.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into the incidents under Articles 154 and 126 of the Criminal Code.
It is known to the public that in addition to the ongoing rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, several large-scale rallies and demonstrations have been announced by certain groups at different times and locations, including a final event within the framework of Tbilisi Pride Week.
Due to the high public interest, we clarify that the final event of Tbilisi Pride contains risks for the safety of the persons involved in the event, which were repeatedly explained by the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the organizers of the event.
We once again publicly call on the participants of Tbilisi Pride to refuse to hold a march in an open, public space due to the scale of the rallies planned by the opposing groups on Rustaveli Avenue.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on all those gathered on Rustaveli Avenue to maintain order, obey the lawful demands of the police and protest on any issue within the law. We also call on the protesters not to allow violent calls and not to exceed the limits allowed by the law on assembly and expression.
All the facts of the violation will be followed by a strict and immediate response from the police", - the MIA said in a statement.
