Protesters in Georgia demand justice for victims of police violence

Participants in a rally on Rustaveli Avenue on the 552nd day of continuous protests demanded punishment for police officers convicted of violence against detainees in Gori. A separate rally in Tbilisi was dedicated to the same demand.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on June 1, the 551st day of continuous protests, participants in the rally on Rustaveli Avenue called for children with Duchenne syndrome to receive the necessary medications. Parents of the affected children, in turn, announced their readiness to resort to a hunger strike.

On the morning of June 2, activists in Tbilisi held a protest in front of the General Prosecutor's Office against violence and impunity. Participants in the rally held posters dedicated to the incident in Gori: "When the police use violence, who should you turn to?", "11 police officers used violence, six were detained," and "Punish all police officers who participated in the violence," Georgian photographer Mo Se wrote on his Facebook page*.

Other activist posters read, "The system uses violence," "Concealing a crime is also a crime," "Where are the other five police officers who used violence?" and "We will not tolerate violence and impunity."

Participants in the rally outside the Georgian Parliament, who gathered on Rustaveli Avenue this evening with national and EU flags, also addressed the issue of police violence with their posters. At the daily protest, which took place today for the 552nd day in a row, posters read, "We will not tolerate violence" and "Punish all police officers involved in violence." Those gathered outside the Parliament also reiterated the unwavering demand for the release of prisoners of conscience with the slogans, "Freedom for political prisoners" and "Freedom for Zviad Tsetskhladze."

One of the posters read: "We demand open trials. Freedom of the press and media," Netgazeti reports.

The "Svet Media" campaign, which has been running since the summer of 2025, raised 57,400 lari (US$21,580) at a spring flea market to support independent online publications. The campaign organizers donated a tenth of these funds, 5,740 lari (US$2,158), to help the families of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Publika notes.

According to the organization "Together Fighting Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy," there are approximately 100 children with this diagnosis in Georgia. Three of them have died recently, one of the most recent deaths occurring in early March.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Thousands of people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report, "Key Points on the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia".