16 detained as police crack down on Tbilisi protest

Police crack down Tbilisi protest

On the morning of November 19, police and special forces violently dispersed a peaceful demonstration on one of Tbilisi’s central avenues. An attempt to relocate the protesters to another area led to clashes.

Sixteen people, including women, were arrested. Video footage shows police brutally beating protesters. Many journalists were prevented from working, and one of them was also beaten and arrested.

Protesters demanding new parliamentary elections blocked Chavchavadze Avenue in Tbilisi on the evening of November 17. At dawn on November 19, thousands of police officers and special forces arrived at the scene.

Law enforcement attacked the rally participants from several sides, confiscated their dismantled tents, and forced them onto the adjacent Melikishvili Avenue.

An attempt to push the protesters to another part of the street escalated into a confrontation, prompting the police to carry out harsh arrests.

Footage shared by journalists and rally participants reveals that one of the detainees is a minor. Reports suggest his mother intervened, managing to free him from the police and escort him to safety.

During the ongoing protest on Melikishvili Avenue, Sergi Baramidze, a cameraman for the opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, was detained. The channel, which aired footage of the incident, reported that police assaulted Baramidze and damaged his camera. He was released two hours later after signing a written pledge.

“They even took my jacket off when they detained me. After I was taken to the police station [there was no violence], they just had me sign a pledge to appear when summoned, and that was it.”

According to the Media, Information, and Social Studies Centre, OC Media journalist Mariam Nikuradze was also prevented from working during the dispersal of the protest. Her mobile phone, which she was using to photograph detainees, was confiscated.

Several other journalists were subjected to physical violence and restrictions on their work.

One of the leaders of the opposition Unity-National Movement coalition, Giorgi Vashadze, stated that senior police officers attempted to detain him and another party leader, Nika Melia.

Reports indicate that members of the opposition coalition For Change are among those detained, including Nika Kvitatiani, who required hospitalization.

It has also been confirmed that, along with the Mtavari Arkhi cameraman, two previously detained women were also released.

According to Nona Kurdovanidze, Chair of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the unified hotline of non-governmental organisations received reports of 12 detainees.

“Lawyers are working to locate them, and we will ensure no one is left without assistance,” Kurdovanidze assured.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed to the online outlet Publika that 16 people had been detained, three of whom have already been released on written pledges.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders announced that the protest would continue, transitioning into a “mobile” format.

“Rule number one: we don’t let [the police] catch us. Rule number two: we keep our distance from the police. If they move toward us, we move too; if they stop, we stop,” instructed Giorgi Vashadze during the protest.

Police crack down Tbilisi protest