Tbilisi Mayor: We must do everything we can to end polarisation imposed on us from outside

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has described the creation of a new department aimed at tackling hate speech as a timely and necessary move.

Kaladze argued that the intense political polarisation witnessed in Georgia over recent years has been driven by external forces and must be brought to an end.

“I believe this initiative was very timely and important, as hate speech is absolutely unacceptable. We must do everything in our power to end the polarisation that I am certain has been imposed on us from the outside.

For years, hundreds of millions were spent to bring us to this point. While there may be differing opinions and political views, we should be able to express them constructively and within the law, rather than through insults. We all know too well what is happening, the kinds of posts being written and comments being made on social media. I believe the decision to take this step was long overdue,” Kakha Kaladze said.