The Prime Minister of Georgia called on law enforcement officers “to show maximum patience amid ongoing protest rallies against the domestic bill on the transparency of foreign influence”.

“Georgia is a democratic state and the right to peaceful assembly and expression is firmly protected…

I would like to thank the Ministry of Internal Affairs, police officers who, despite large-scale violence and insults, managed to prevent violence and protect public safety as effectively as possible.

Of course, even today we expect that the rally of the radical political minority will take on a violent and illegal character. All this will be expressed, first of all, by attempts to block government buildings, by violence against the police and insults against them.

All perpetrators and violators will be held accountable before the law… I call on law enforcement officers to show maximum patience. I understand that it is not easy to take violence and abuse without reaction. However, I ask everyone to exercise maximum patience against any violent or unlawful actions by the protesters.

Any excessive use of force by law enforcement officers would be used by the radical opposition to cover up their own violent actions”, - said Irakli Kobakhidze.