Homophobic and violent posters are still displayed in the streets of Tbilisi. On the first day after putting up the posters, the City Hall identified only 2 offenders and fined them.
“No to National Movement, no to violence” – such posters can still be found on the streets of Tbilisi. City Hall began removing the posters, but apparently failed to do so, but a group of several people stormed the entire city overnight with hateful and homophobic calls. According to the Tbilisi City Hall, only two people that were identified by the Supervision Service were fined. The fine was 1000 GEL.
According to the opposition, the Georgian dream is behind this idea, because both human and financial resources are spent, which ordinary citizens have less of. They say that sowing hatred in the society before the elections is a proved way of the Georgian Dream.
Khatia Dekanoidze, National Movement: “numerous banners were posted in just one night on every bus stop in Tbilisi, which Tbilisi Mayor Kaladze is proud of holding, and of course he knew very well that these banners would have been posted that night. They want to fill people with disgust, but they won’t be allowed anymore.”
Sergo Chikhladze, Strategy Aghmashenebeli: “This is a tactic chosen by the Georgian Dream: the language of violence, the sowing of hatred, the violent tactics that they had during the 2018 and 2020 elections. Can anyone imagine that 10,000 posters were hung all over the city and no one noticed? Neither the police nor the Supervision Service? This is a direct order of the Georgian Dream.”
Lasha Damenia, European Georgia: “Georgian Dream does not betray its habit and continues its campaign of using hate language on these elections. They have clearly crossed the boundary, beyond which there’s darkness and pro-Putin forces.”
Badri Japaridze, Lelo for Georgia: “When we see this types of posters that preach hatred, it directly points to people that, as it turns out, you should hate, for their different views. However, preaching hatred against people because of their views is totally unacceptable and reprehensible.”
Homophobic posters were unfurled Friday night depicting civil activists, critical media managers and owners. City Hall still fails to clean up the city from homophobia and hatred.
