Demonstration about June 20 developments ongoing at Rustaveli Avenue
Demonstration about June 20 developments ongoing at Rustaveli Avenue

Demonstration in connection with the anniversary of so-called Gavrilov Night and June 20 developments in Tbilisi is ongoing at central Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

The activity with the slogan “Together Against Occupation” is organized by “Shame” and “Dare” public movements. Representatives of oppositional political parties joined the protest.

Rustaveli Avenue is blocked from traffic movement. Organizers will deliver speeches and several musical performances will take place as part of the activity.

Stickers, reflecting Russian President Vladimr Putin who has steps on the face, are put on the ground to ensure social distancing.

The so-called Gavrilov Night protest was dispersed by the riot police with the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon. About 240 people both civilians and law-enforcers were injured during the night of June 20-21, 2019. Only 8 people were granted the status of a victim.

Protests in front of the parliament building at Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi have been held since June 20 in reaction to the visit of Sergey Gavrilov, a Russian lawmaker and his sitting in the parliamentary speaker’s chair during a religious assembly, which many Georgians saw as an unwelcome reminder of Russian military occupation of its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.