🏳️🌈🚫 Rainbow Shutdown in Tbilisi: Pride Party Pummeled by Prejudiced Protestors 📢
TL;DR;
The party plans of Tbilisi Pride went belly-up as violent protests from Russian-affiliated far-right groups forced the festival’s cancelation. The organizers claimed they had no option but to cancel and evacuate the venue, pointing fingers at the Georgian Interior Ministry for their lackluster protection against these extreme groups. Police tussled with the anti-LGBTQ+ protestors at the Lisi Wonderland venue while Pride flags were torched by the protestors. Now, where’s the love, people? 🤷🏻♀️
In a dramatic turn of events that would give a thriller movie a run for its money, the Tbilisi Pride festival got axed by its own organizers. Why, you ask? Seems like the authorities didn’t put enough muscle into warding off a couple of rowdy disruptors 💪🏻😒.
Where was this? In the beautiful Lisi Wonderland. 🏞️ A place that was supposed to be a safe space for expression and celebration turned into a warzone. Anti-LGBTQ+ protestors crashed the party and did what most unwanted guests do – ruin the fun. They even started burning Pride flags. Seriously? Who invited these fire-starters? 🚒
Tbilisi Pride, the festival organizers, went ahead and spilled the tea ☕, stating that the Georgian Ministry of Interior had “neglected to protect us from violent far-right groups.” They claimed that even the privacy of their event wasn’t respected. A bit harsh? Or a bitter truth? 🧐
Here’s where it gets interesting. The festival organizers are pointing the finger at Russian-affiliated far-right group, Alt Info, for disrupting the event. But Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze told reporters that the event location made it difficult for them to control the situation. Hmm… A blame game or a genuine hiccup? 🤔
What about the people? The attendees and organizers were evacuated and according to Mr. Darakhvelidze, nobody got injured in the process. While that’s a relief, it raises the question: could this chaos have been avoided in the first place? 🕵️
Shalva Papuashvili, the speaker of the Georgian Parliament, expressed the government’s disapproval of the violence. He said that the police managed to keep festival participants safe from injuries. But hey, wasn’t there supposed to be no violence to begin with? 🙄
Meanwhile, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who’s independent of the country’s ruling Georgian Dream party, slammed the government for not upholding the rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. She’s got a point, right? 🎯
International players like the UN, US Embassy in Tbilisi, and even Britain’s ambassador to Georgia, expressed their outrage over the incident. Each one urging the Georgian authorities to hold the law-breakers accountable. The German ambassador to Georgia chimed in calling it a “sad day” 😔.
Well folks, it seems like what was supposed to be a celebration of love and acceptance turned into a grim reminder of the work that still needs to be done for equality 🌈.
What are your thoughts? Could the Georgian authorities have done more to prevent the protests? Should far-right groups be allowed to trample on others’ freedom of expression and assembly? Let’s chat! 🗣️
