Papuashvili: European countries, including French President, remained silent on violence by protesters

“When violent protesters were trying to set fire to Parliament, storm the Presidential Palace and attack police officers in the streets of Tbilisi, we saw silence on the violence, or support for the perpetrators, from various European countries, including from the French president,” Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili told journalists.

Papuashvili was commenting on ongoing protests in France, saying that encouraging violence in another country creates a precedent that political violence is acceptable and can ultimately be experienced in one’s own country.

“When violent protesters in the streets of Tbilisi were trying to set fire to Parliament, storm the Presidential Palace and attack and injure police officers — you know that one police officer lost his eyesight, while several dozen police officers had to be taken to hospitals — we saw silence on the violence, or support for the perpetrators, from various European countries, including from the French president.

We said at the time that those who remain silent about violence or support perpetrators will ultimately face violence in their own countries. This is what happens, because when you encourage, support or remain silent about violence in another country, you create a precedent that political violence is acceptable. The consequence of this precedent is that, ultimately, you experience it in your own country,” Papuashvili said.

According to Papuashvili, it would be interesting if, at some point, the French ambassador also provided information on how many police officers would be punished in Paris for violence in the streets and what types of sentences would be imposed.

“Today, we see the streets of Paris transformed into something resembling a battlefield. We see what appears to be brutal treatment of protesters by police. Of course, we see violent protesters, but we also see peaceful participants. We see police using force, including beating protesters with batons.

Let me remind you that batons are not used by police in Georgia at all. Here, we see peaceful demonstrators, including women, being beaten with batons and dragged along the ground.

We hope that the figures concerning investigations into alleged police violence will be made public. Five thousand people have been arrested, and the violence was visible live on television. Therefore, it will be interesting to hear from the French ambassador at some point what the results are, how many police officers will be punished for this violence and what types of sentences will be imposed for the violence we witnessed live,” Papuashvili said.