Police Arrest Dozens on Rustaveli Avenue
Police said up to 20 people were arrested on the evening of October 22 as tensions flared after protesters blocked Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue during a daily rally. Activists, however, say the number is higher and up to 30 people were detained.
Police were seen detaining and dragging demonstrators off the sidewalks after clearing the road for traffic. One protester was hospitalized.
Those detained included Lika Basilaia-Shavgulidze, a member of the Public Broadcaster’s board, Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, and prominent activist Ilia Glonti. One person required hospitalization.
Demonstrators have gathered every evening near Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue for more than 330 consecutive days as part of ongoing pro-EU, anti-government protests.
The October 22 gathering was held in solidarity with journalists after jailed reporter Mzia Amaghlobeli was awarded the Sakharov Prize, and following the recent arrests of three opposition Formula TV journalists for “blocking the road.”
The Interior Ministry issued a statement saying, “Although patrol police officers repeatedly warned the protesters not to engage in illegal actions, as their number did not give them the legal right to block the roadway, the demonstrators ignored the police’s instructions.”
“Therefore, up to 20 protesters who directly participated in the attempt to illegally block the road have been detained under administrative procedures,” the Ministry said.
The Interior Ministry added that one person – a young woman who climbed onto a police car – was arrested and charged with aggravated hooliganism, a criminal offense. The ministry said her actions “insulted representatives of the law enforcement agency, their honor and uniform, as well as the public.”
“The Interior Ministry once again calls on the protesters to refrain from artificially and unlawfully blocking the roadway and from committing criminal offenses; otherwise, measures provided for by law will be taken against them.”
The fresh arrests come after the Georgian Dream parliament adopted stricter protest-related rules last week, as the ruling party pledged to end the Rustaveli demonstrations. Under the new rules, blocking roads or covering one’s face during rallies results in immediate administrative detention, while repeat offenses can lead to criminal charges carrying up to one year in prison.
Earlier today, the Interior Ministry reported the arrest of 12 people in the past 24 hours for violating protest regulations. Dozens more have been rounded up, detained, and sent to periods of up to 14 days in custody since the new measures took effect on October 17.
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