Georgia holds protest action "I read papers"

Today, at the Mayoralty of Tbilisi, activists of NGOs and public organizations, media and oppositional parties have held a silent action under the slogan "I read papers" against replacement of old newspaper stalls for new ones.

The action was organized by the Georgian Press Association and the Coalition "For the freedom of choice". They fear that the new Mayoralty's project poses a real threat of restricting the freedom of speech in the country.

According to organizers, distribution of press in Georgia is a problematic issue, and announcing an auction on the places occupied by newspaper kiosks will still complicate the situation, since dissemination and sale of newspapers and magazines will be further restricted, the "Rus-press.ge" reports.

The participants of the action held newspapers in their hands, directing them towards the Mayoralty. Thus, according to Eliso Chapidze, a journalist of the newspaper "Resonanci", they showed the authorities that they read newspapers and were not satisfied with the information spread by TV broadcasters.

The organizers have handed out stickers reading "No Newspapers – No Democracy" with the crossed word PRESS in the middle.

According to the Tbilisi Mayoralty, the new kiosks will enable those residents of Tbilisi, who want to develop their own businesses, to create new, stable and long-term jobs. The project will also contribute to development of the city commercial infrastructure. The kiosks – more than a thousand in number – will be installed at predetermined locations, the "News-Georgia" reports.