Crowds March on Georgian Parliament Buildings to Protest Russian Delegation Visit

Anti-government protesters marched on and attempted to storm parliament buildings in Tbilisi, Georgia, on June 20, in protest against the presence of a Russian delegation, including MP Sergei Gavrilov, at an Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy.

Gavrilov reportedly supports the Russian occupation of Georgian territories.

Protesters called for the resignations of the speaker of the parliament and Minister for Internal Affairs Giorgi Gakharia, Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, and Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze for facilitating the delegation’s visit. Russian media reported that a group of protesters also rallied outside the Russian consulate.

Gavrilov was leading the assembly in Tbilisi, addressing the parliament, when opposition party members staged their own protest within the building, according to Voice of America (VOA). According to the Georgian Journal, a pro-European MP threw water towards the Russian delegation. Credit: Denis Yalovoy via Storyful