GDI responds to the disruption of the closed Pride festival event and holds the government solely responsible for the occurrences on July 8th.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs' lack of genuine effort in preventing the march of violent, pro-Russian groups is evident. Furthermore, the participants of the rally were permitted to approach the festival venue, following which the Ministry of Internal Affairs evacuated the festival organizers while simultaneously granting access to the organizers of the violent groups to enter the private territory and confirm the authenticity of this matter. It is indeed alarming that pro-Kremlin groups were able to enter the festival territory without any substantial obstacles and subsequently caused damage by vandalizing and setting fire to property and inventory belonging to the festival organizers.
The events that unfolded today serve as yet another indication that the Georgian government lacked the true intention to fulfil its constitutional obligations and take all necessary measures to enable the festival organizers to conduct the event. Furthermore, the rhetoric of government representatives aligns closely with the narrative propagated by violent groups.
In light of these recent events, it becomes evident that the ruling party, Georgian Dream, has once again emphasized its lack of political will to safeguard the rights of all individuals. Instead, the current government openly exhibits its support for violent groups and endeavors to portray them as the prevailing majority, believing that this strategy will enable them to retain their hold on power.
