Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on Tbilisi Pride participants to refuse to hold March of Dignity in public space.

“From the morning, various groups were gathering and protesting on Rustaveli Avenue. Alongside to the gathering, in order to ensure public order and safety within the capital, police officers are mobilized and operate in an emergency mode.

Some individuals gathered at the manifestation on Rustaveli Avenue carried out violent acts towards the representatives of media and obstructed their professional activities. As a result of the police response at Rustaveli Avenue, representatives of the media are currently transferred to the safe area.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an investigation regarding the incidents under the Articles 154 (Unlawful interference with the journalist’s professional activities) and 126 (Violence) of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

As the public is aware, apart from the ongoing manifestation on Rustaveli Avenue, today several large-scale assemblies and manifestations were announced by certain groups at different times and locations in Tbilisi, including the final event scheduled within the frames of “Tbilisi Pride” week.

Due to the high public interest, the Ministry of Internal Affairs would like to clarify/inform that conduct of the final event of “Tbilisi Pride” contains risks regarding the safety of persons involved in the event. The organizers of the event have repeatedly been informed about the risks by the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

We once again publicly call on the participants of “Tbilisi Pride” to refrain from the “March of Dignity” being held in public space due to the scale of counter-manifestations planned by the opposing groups on Rustaveli Avenue.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on those gathered on Rustaveli Avenue to observe law and order, adhere to the rightful requests of the police and exercise their right of expression in full compliance of the law. The Ministry calls on rally participants to refrain from calls for violence and not to exceed the limits allowed by the law on assembly and expression.

Any fact of violation will be strictly and immediately responded by the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”, - reads the statement of the MIA.