The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has announced that participants of the ongoing rally/demonstration are deliberately and artificially blocking Rustaveli Avenue, while MIA officers are identifying violators and imposing penalties per the Administrative Offenses Code.

“According to the Law of Georgia ‘On Assemblies and Manifestations,’ it is prohibited to artificially block the roadway for traffic unless the number of participants in the assembly or demonstration requires it,” the statement reads.

The ministry noted that violating this obligation constitutes an offense under Article 174¹ of the Administrative Offenses Code and carries a fine of 5,000 GEL or administrative detention for up to 15 days.

“In recent days, the public clearly sees that participants of the rally/demonstration taking place in Tbilisi in front of the Parliament of Georgia are deliberately and artificially blocking Rustaveli Avenue, even though the number of assembly participants does not require it,” the MIA statement concludes.