President on Rallies: We Were Close to Civil Confrontation

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili today commented on the recent developments in Tbilisi, regarding the anti-drug policy rally and the counter-demonstration held by far-right, nationalist groups.

The President noted that the situation had escalated and moved to the point of civil confrontation.

“This weekend we saw a complete collapse of political and administrative actions and a series of mistakes starting with a raid and followed by subsequent developments. How could they manage to arrive at such a zenith of civil confrontation in a few hours? This question requires a direct answer,” Margvelashvili stated.

He underlined that the main aim in this situation is to maintain freedom of expression and freedom of speech and at the same time keep order in the streets.

He thanked the police for ensuring maximum the safety and security of the civil protesters.

"I want to specifically thank the police officers who stood there and performed their duty- to prevent a confrontation between the two rallies. I thank them for their hard work," Margvelashvili said.

By Thea Morrison