A Georgian pride festival in the nation’s capital city, Tbilisi, was abruptly cancelled on Saturday, the 8th of July, as 2,000 anti-LGBTQ+ protesters stormed the event, leading to clashes with police and the burning of rainbow flags.
The protesters, which included members of the Orthodox Christian clergy, overwhelmed security measures and rushed the stage, causing chaos and forcing organisers to cancel the festival. The incident highlights the prevailing homophobia that exists in Georgia.
Organisers of the event and President Salome Zurabishvili placed blame on the dissemination of anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech in the lead-up to the festival. They also criticised the police for failing to protect attendees adequately.
President Zurabishvili criticised the ruling Georgian Dream party for failing to condemn followers who openly incited aggression against LGBTQ+ activists. The organisers echoed this sentiment, urging the Ministry of Interior and the police to investigate the hate speech immediately. However, Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze argued that the vast open area of the festival made it challenging to maintain control over the situation.
Despite the disruption, the authorities evacuated participants and organisers safely from the event without any reported injuries. Reuters news agency said the participants were transported to a secure location by bus.
This is not the first time a Pride festival in Tbilisi has faced violent opposition. In 2021, protesters attacked journalists and LGBTQ+ activists during a similar event.
Mariam Kvaratskhelia, the organiser of the 2023 Pride festival, revealed that there had been a “mass mobilisation” of far-right groups leading up to this year’s event. These groups openly incited violence and had been urging action against the festival. Kvaratskhelia expressed disappointment in the Ministry of Interior and the police for failing to initiate investigations promptly.
Kvaratskhelia also alleged that the protest was a “coordinated action between the government and radical groups” aimed at sabotaging Georgia’s EU candidacy. However, she did not provide specific evidence to support this claim.
Critics of the Georgian Dream government accuse it of leaning towards Moscow, despite Georgia’s long-standing desire to join the European Union. In March, massive protests erupted over a draft law resembling Russian legislation that would label non-governmental and media organisations as “foreign agents” if they received over 20% of their funding from abroad. The clashes between protesters and the police outside parliament ultimately led to the government abandoning the bill.
