Tbilisi Mayor Kaladze: Violence that was backed and funded from abroad in Georgia has now come to Europe’s own streets

“The violent processes that were encouraged and funded from abroad in Georgia have now broken out in European countries themselves,” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said, commenting on events in France.

He said the public knows who acted in what way towards Georgia.

“What has happened in Georgia in recent years is this: violent organisations were set up and directly funded, and encouraged with words and ‘messages’. Ambassadors of various countries spoke out, prime ministers of various European countries came here, went straight to violent rallies, spoke there and cheered on these violent groups, and as for condemning them, that was never even on the table. It is a total disaster. The misery they inflicted on Georgia was no accident. They have funded it. Of course, they have been completely exposed. The public is fully aware of how different actors have behaved towards Georgia.

Today they are seeing the same misery they inflicted on Georgia in their own countries. You can see what is happening. Of course, violence is unacceptable. The kind of violence we are seeing in the footage is unthinkable,” Kaladze said.

He said the double standard was plain to see: protester violence in European cities is strongly condemned, while similar acts in Georgia were encouraged.