Georgia: Commemorative rally planned in Tbilisi June 20

Event

A commemorative rally has been scheduled to take place in Tbilisi on Saturday, June 20, to mark the one-year anniversary of significant anti-government protests in the country. The rally is scheduled to take place in front of the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue in downtown Tbilisi at approximately 19:00 (local time).

A heightened security presence is likely in the vicinity of all protests.

Context

In 2019, around 10,000 anti-government protesters rallied outside of parliament on the night of June 20, to denounce the participation of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov at the General Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. Protests reportedly turned violent after images emerged of Gavrilov sitting in a seat typically reserved for the Parliamentary Chairperson. Protests continued for six months, resulting in dozens of arrests and casualties, along with protesters calling for broad constitutional change. On March 8 2020, Georgian parties signed long-awaited election reforms, including changing the electoral system to a proportional one, rather than a majority one that critic say favours the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Advice

Individuals in Tbilisi are advised to monitor developments, avoid all protests and demonstrations as a precaution, and anticipate a heightened security presence and localized disruptions to business and transportation around protest sites.