LGBT opponents protest against police searches in case on disruption of gay pride parade

Today, at an action in Batumi, activists dissatisfied with the police searches in a case on riots during the protests against the gay pride parade have claimed that only military parades should be held in Georgia. The action has been timed to coincide with the visit to Georgia of Charles Michel, President of the European Council.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 5, according to the journalists' estimates, during the riots at actions against the gay parade in Tbilisi, 53 media professionals were beaten up. A total of 24 people were accused of group violence. On July 16, the police conducted searches at home of Zura Makharadze, a founder of the “Alt-Info” edition, and at homes of other organizers of the rally against the LGBT action. All of them were released by the police after questioning, which angered opposition journalists.

Today, in Batumi, opponents of the LGBT community have come to a picket against the police searches and questioning of activists of radical movements, including employees of the “Alt-Info” edition, which opposes “propaganda of debauchery” and the protection of the rights of sexual minorities.

The action has been timed to coincide with the visit to Georgia of Charles Michel, President of the European Council.

The protesters unfolded posters reading: “Only military parades should take place in Georgia”, “Why ‘Alt-Info’ is punished, while ‘Mtavari’, ‘Pirveli’, and ‘Formula” are not punished?”, the News-Georgia” reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 19, 2021 at 14:35 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.