We once again publicly call on the participants of "Tbilisi Pride" to refrain from hold the march

The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on Tbilisi Pride to refrain from holding the pride march in the open. The agency names the scale of the contractions of homophobic and violent groups as the reason for this

From this morning, on Rustaveli Avenue, various groups started gathering and protesting. In parallel with the rally, police officers are mobilized in the capital to maintain security and public order and work in a special mode.

Violent actions and obstruction of professional activities were carried out by some individuals gathered at the rally on Rustaveli Avenue against the representatives of the media. As a result of the response of the police officers on Rustaveli, the representatives of the media are placed in a safe place at this stage.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into the incidents under Articles 154 and 126 of the Criminal Code.

It is known to the public that in addition to the rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi today, several large-scale gatherings and demonstrations have been announced by certain groups at different times and in different locations, including the final event within the framework of Tbilisi Pride Week.

Due to the high public interest, we explain that the final event of "Tbilisi Pride" contains risks for the safety of the persons involved in the event, which were repeatedly explained by the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the organizers of the event.

We once again publicly call on the participants of "Tbilisi Pride" to refrain from hold the march in an open, public space due to the scale of the rallies planned by the opposing groups on Rustaveli Avenue.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on all those gathered on Rustaveli Avenue to maintain order, obey the lawful demands of the police and protest on any issue within the law. We also call on the protesters not to allow violent calls and not to exceed the limits allowed by the law on assembly and expression.

All incidents of misconduct will be followed by a harsh and instant response from the police.