The police intervened in the conflict between the rally participants in Tbilisi and tourists from Russia.
Tourists from Russia reacted with offensive gestures to the rally near the parliament of Georgia in memory of the slain fighters who fought on the side of Ukraine, which took place on the 591st day of daily protests. The police had to take the tourists under protection.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on July 10, on the 590th day of continuous protests, demonstrators near the parliament of Georgia condemned the "Georgian Dream" for political arrests and demanded the release of prisoners of conscience.
Today, a procession took place in Tbilisi from the Philharmonic towards the parliament in memory of the fallen Georgian volunteers in Ukraine.
At the procession, which gathered several thousand people, huge flags of Ukraine and Georgia were unfurled, according to a video from Publika.
Participants of the march, including the mothers of the deceased, named the Georgian fighters to honor their memory. More than 120 Georgians have been killed in battles on the side of Ukraine, writes Tbilisi Life.
The ruling party of Georgia, "Georgian Dream," in December 2022, informed volunteers going to Ukraine that the law of Georgia allows them to be stripped of their citizenship for serving in foreign armies. The authorities want to curb the participation of Georgians in battles in Ukraine, seeing the volunteers as a political threat, analysts interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" stated.
When the participants of the procession arrived at the parliament, an incident occurred involving Russian tourists, reports Tabula.
According to the publication, Russian tourists passed by the rally participants in a sightseeing electric car. Some of them showed offensive gestures to the protesters, which caused outrage among the rally participants.
After that, some of the protesters headed towards the electric car, but it was quickly surrounded by police officers, preventing further escalation. During the incident, insults were directed at the tourists, including the use of profanity.
As seen in the video published by Tbilisi Life, when surrounded by police, the tourists began to show hearts to the protesters, after which the electric car left the protest site.
Today marks the 591st day of daily protests, reminds photographer Georgy Mosiashvili (Mo Se).
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces have conducted harsh dispersals of protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. During the protests, thousands of people have faced administrative prosecution. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "Main points on the persecution of protest participants in Georgia".
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