Gay pride parade turns into a massacre: EU flags are torn down in Tbilisi
The flame of political passions continues to burn over the capital of Georgia. The reason for the emotional outburst was the message that representatives of the LGBT community are planning to hold a procession on July 5 on the central avenue of the Georgian capital, named after Shota Rustaveli.
Of course, such an event in a Christian country has already caused a storm of emotions among different segments of the population. Since early morning, members of ultra-conservative movements and representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church gathered near the building of the legislative body of the republic, calling on residents of the country to prevent the march, which is unacceptable for the Georgian public.
The situation is out of control
Representatives of the opposition party “European Georgia,” who had previously declared the advisability of holding a so-called “march of dignity,” were the first to fall under the attack of Georgian ultranationalists. The radicals threw bottles, sticks, and eggs at the oppositionists, driving them out of the territory adjacent to the parliament building.
Representatives of the media were also targeted. Young people, and, to call a spade a spade, a raging crowd attacked journalists and cameramen. Employees of 5 TV channels, 3 print media, and 2 broadcast journalists were injured. We are talking about 20 media representatives.
The demonstrators threw stones at them, broke their equipment, and caused injuries. The victims were taken out in ambulances and taken to regional hospitals.
Today, almost all Georgian media are reporting attacks on journalists.
The authorities' response
The position of the authorities leaves much to be desired.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili said that holding a “march of dignity” in the center of Tbilisi today is inappropriate.
However, the head of the Georgian Cabinet of Ministers offered the flash mob participants alternative places to hold the action.
“We have a long history as one of the most ancient nations, where we have numerous examples of coexistence, and not one of the representatives of our nation, be it people who differ in religion or any other sign, has ever faced a problem. Therefore, I want to say that even today people who protest, express their position and want to hold certain marches, this is their right, naturally, we understand this as a given and understand their desires, this is their constitutional right,” Garibashvili said.
We don’t want you in the European Union
While the Georgian prime minister was trying to sit on two chairs in order to please both the demonstrators and representatives of the LGBT community, the ultranationalists (appreciating the very scrupulous words of the prime minister) lowered the EU flag that was flying on the Georgian parliament building, replacing it with a flag with a Georgian cross.
After weighing all the pros and cons, LGBT representatives finally had their say.
“On behalf of Tbilisi Pride we declare that the march of dignity will not take place today. The authorities not only failed to ensure the safety of the queer community and our supporters, but also actively prevented us from exercising our right to assemble. We cannot take to the streets full of rapists, supported by the authorities, the patriarchy and endanger people's lives! We want to clearly tell our supporters that the struggle for dignity will continue, this is an irreversible process!” the disseminated information says.
In conclusion, I would like to say that today Georgian society is to some extent divided in two. Some believe that the ban on Pride Week and the massacre of representatives of the LGBT community is a sign that Georgia is going into the dark Middle Ages.
The other part demands respect for the culture and traditions of the Georgian state by banning these flash mobs. In any case, outright homophobia is unlikely to contribute to Georgia's further integration into the European community.
And does Georgia even need this European integration if such “values” are welcomed there?
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