MIA unable to provide security for Tbilisi Pride

After the meeting between the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the organizers of Tbilisi Pride on May 30, it was announced that MIA would be unable to provide security for the event.

In an official statement by MIA, it was mentioned that due to the security risks, Tbilisi Pride couldn't be conducted at a place and in the format that was initially planned. The first ever Pride week, which will include a "Dignity March" is set to take place in Tbilisi on June 18-23.

According to the organizers, they were offered alternative closed venues to hold the event, like a stadium or a club, where safety would be guaranteed.

"According to the representatives of MIA, they can't guarantee the protection of the right to gather of the LGBT community. Instead of actively working on reducing hatred and aggression and raising the awareness of the society, the government is trying to hide the problems and hide us. They are once again compromising for the radical groups that are influenced by Russia," said the organizers of Tbilisi Pride.

The organizers also said they have been previously contacted by "state officials."

"an unidentified self-proclaimed state official contacted Giorgi Tabagari [one of the organizers] under questionable circumstances and with the intent to get our team to change or altogether cancel the planned event through intimidation," reads the statement.

According to the organizers, they will not change their plans and will nevertheless continue organizing the Pride week. They asked Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Giorgi Gakharia to talk publicly about the reasons that they are being deprived of their constitutional right.

The organizers also announced that they would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The Internal Affairs Minister Gakharia responded to the organizers via Imedi TV and said that "the right to appeal to Strasbourg is the right of every Georgian citizen and we will protect it, like we protect the right of expression, but no one should forget that the main goal is to find the balance between the freedom of expression and security."

Coalition for Equality, an alliance that unites several nongovernmental organisations working in Georgia, issued a statement regarding the stance of the Ministry.

"Freedom of expression includes peaceful gathering and manifestation in public and inviolability of the security of the participants. The state must ensure timely and adequate protection from possible violence," reads the statement.

The Coalition's statement also talks about the international experience of the European Court of Human Rights, namely the Alekseyev v. Russia case, where it was concluded that "if every probability of tension and heated exchange between opposing groups during a demonstration were to warrant its prohibition, society would be faced with being deprived of the opportunity of hearing differing views on any question which offends the sensitivity of the majority opinion."

The idea of carrying out the Pride week was voiced in February 2019 by the organizers, aside from the backlash from the conservative groups, the idea of the Pride march was also criticized by a segment of the Georgian LGBT community, stating that with the increased visibility comes increased violence.

Women's Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) also responded to the ongoing discussion, naming it as their obligation as a community organisation "to voice the dissenting opinion of those community members who oppose the idea of holding a Pride march".

WISG says that they "do not call on citizens to take part in the announced march, nor does it encourage them to distance themselves from it," but think that the holding of Pride events is a "politically counterproductive decision, which is inconsistent with [their] vision".

It is important that the Pride week is conducted in a safe manner that does not violate the constitutional right of peaceful assembly of the participants. However, when planning events that affect the queer community at large, it is important to consider different points of view within the community.

Mr. Johannes Kahrs, the head of the Germany-South Caucasus Friendship Group of German Bundestag, in a recent interview with The Messenger spoke about the importance of holding a Pride march in Tbilisi. According to him, Pride is "always good for the spirit of the city, because it's a sign that the city is getting more liberal and accepting." During his visit, Mr. Kahrs also spoke with his Georgian Parliamentary colleagues to make sure that the March is held on one of the main streets.

One of the founding principles of the European Union is to ensure equal rights for everyone, regardless of their gender, nationality, skin color, or sexuality. Another aspirant country to the EU, and a close ally of Georgia, Ukraine, has been holding a Pride Parade in the streets of Kyiv peacefully for the past few years, with the police forces ensuring the security of the participants. It has become a symbol, an indicator, of the openness and readiness of the government to share the values that the EU proudly stands upon.

The conduction of the Pride week and the related events will be a test for the Government of Georgia to prove that their ambitions and aspirations aren't baseless and they are ready to put the work that is needed to ensure the true equality and freedom for the Georgian citizens.