“Although protesters had the opportunity to express their protest peacefully, they attacked police officers and kept attempting to break into police cordons on-site,” said Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, at the briefing on May 1.
“We would like to inform the public about the developments on Rustaveli Avenue in the vicinity of the Parliament and Government Administration buildings. On April 30, 2024, the rally participants started gathering at the back entrance of the Parliament building at approximately 11 a.m., where a peaceful demonstration was held. Law enforcers, as in the course of each gathering and demonstration, were mobilized to ensure public order and the safety of citizens.
In the afternoon, from around 8:00 p.m., the manifestation began in front of the Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue, where the rally participants set up a stage. Citizens from different places joined the protest, the police ensured their peaceful movement and blocked the traffic on Rustaveli Avenue as soon as it became necessary. Notably, the working process and the plenary session were in progress in the legislative body in parallel with the manifestation.
I would like to emphasize that the organizers and participants of the rally had the opportunity to express their protest peacefully throughout the day. However, at the end of the day, at approximately 9 p.m., after the plenary session closed, the protesters blocked the entrances and exit ways of the legislative body, followed by political leaders and protesters deploying at the exits located on Chitadze and Chichinadze streets.
They artificially blocked the exits, claiming they would not allow MPs to leave the Parliament building.
Blocking entrances of administrative bodies and disrupting their activities is forbidden under the Law of Georgia on Assemblies and Demonstrations. However, despite multiple calls by the police, as well as the statements published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not to block the administrative building and to continue protest within the frames defined by the law, they failed to adhere to the instructions and continued deliberate blocking of entrances.
Considering the situation, police cleared the exit of the parliament building and arranged an on-site cordon to enable members of parliament to move safely. The police ensured the safe withdrawal of the members of parliament while providing participants of the rally with the opportunity to continue protest within the frames of the law in a peaceful manner.
Although rally participants had the opportunity to protest peacefully on Rustaveli Avenue and at the back entrance of the Parliament, protesters continued to attack police officers and attempted to break through the cordons. The public saw that manifestation turned violent.
We saw protesters were aggressive towards police. They physically and verbally assaulted officers and threw various heavy objects, stones, and bottles in their direction. As a result of the violent actions, six police officers were injured and hospitalized for medical assistance.
To de-escalate the situation and restore public order, the police gradually administered special means defined by the Law on Police. They used pepper spray, tear gas and water cannons after warning the rally participants at approximately 22:15.
The situation had stabilized, but soon the protestors turned violent. The Ministry of Internal Affairs released an official statement and warned the protestors with a special audio signal on the spot. At approximately 23:40, to prevent illegal actions and restore the rule of law, the employees of the Special Tasks Department used water cannons along with other special means.
Violent actions on Rustaveli Avenue and in the areas adjacent to the Parliament building continued for several hours, prompting the police to administer special means several times.
During the rally, participants became aggressive towards law enforcement, throwing objects at police, blocking Rustaveli Avenue, and damaging Tbilisi City Hall infrastructure.
The violent actions of rally participants and opposition leaders were clearly visible in live broadcasts on various media channels.
The Chairman of the National Movement, Levan Khabeishvili, was seen breaking through a police cordon to interfere with their activities. He resisted the police officers during the incident and was injured as a result. He was taken to a medical facility for treatment immediately. In connection with the mentioned, relevant services will launch an investigation.
At around 00:30, parallel to the protest on Rustaveli Avenue, a small number of protesters continued to rally at different locations in Tbilisi. They blocked traffic on the right and left banks of the Mtkvari River for several hours using various items, equipment, and objects. Unfortunately, rally participants exhibited aggression towards drivers and damaged cars owned by citizens.
On Rustaveli Avenue, from 04:30, police units completely cleared Rustaveli Avenue and the area surrounding the Parliament building.
We reiterate that the Ministry will take strict legal action against all instances of violence, verbal abuse towards law enforcement officials and physical attacks. It is also unacceptable to disrupt traffic on highways.
According to the Law of Georgia on Assemblies and Demonstrations, the participants of the assembly or demonstration are prohibited from intentionally creating obstacles for traffic.
The employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested 63 individuals under Articles 166 and 173 of the Code of Administrative Offenses on the facts of petty hooliganism and disobedience to the legal request of the police at the rally on Rustaveli Avenue.
We note once again that six employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs received various severe injuries during the rally on Rustaveli Avenue as a result of the violent actions of the rally participants.
In connection with the mentioned fact, the investigation is launched under Article 353 of the Criminal Code of Georgia,” he said.
