Activist’s Home Surrounded by Angry Protesters Led by “Alt Info” After Stalin Icon is Defaced
On January 10, the ultra-conservative, anti-Western, pro-Russian and homophobic political party Conservative Movement / Alt Info led a group of angry demonstrators who gathered near the residence of civil activist Nata Peradze, who a day before had defaced the icon with the image of Joseph Stalin at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Tbilisi.
The demonstrators called on Nata Peradze to come forward and explain herself after “insulting the icon”. The leaders of the “Conservative Movement / Alt Info“, Zurab Makharadze and Giorgi Kardava addressed the crowd.
Giorgi Kardava accused the Government and the law enforcement agencies of shielding the activist. “The Government has told us directly that there are two categories of people in the country: there are people who can do anything, even insult the icons, and there are ordinary people to whom everything applies, except the law.” Zurab Makharadze said that the law seems to be ineffective in dealing with people like Peradze, who defaced the icon, while others are held accountable for burning the EU flags. He expressed the demand of the gathered people “to punish Nata Peradze by law”. He also mentioned Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has just returned to politics, and Georgian Government, stressing that “now it is up to Bidzina Ivanishvili whether the law will be applied to Nata Peradze or not.”
After a few hours, the demonstrators left the area around Peradze’s home. Nata Peradze, the person who sprayed blue paint on the icon of Stalin in Tbilisi’s Holy Trinity Cathedral, says she has received threats from various people after posting video footage of the act.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
