Global Voices » Georgia

Georgia: No Sex and the City

Onnik Krikorian — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:37:51 +0000

No Sex and the City — Georgian Liberal (an oxymoron) blog comments on the physical confrontation between priests accompanying religious parents and LGBT activists marching in Tbilisi, Georgia. The blog details events as they happened, including the alleged inaction of the Georgian police when they were asked to intervene to defuse tensions.

Georgia: LGBT Activists Attacked by Orthodox Religious Group

Mirian Jugheli — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:21:40 +0000

In the first ever event of its kind in the country to mark the 17 May International Day Against Homophobia, Georgian LGBT activists were blocked by a group of Orthodox Christians as they marched in downtown Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.

Priests leading the Union of Orthodox Parents (UOP) demanded the march stopped, alleging that it would lead to moral depravity among the younger generation in the predominantly Christian country.

LGBT activists responded by asking them to clear the way so that the march could continue, but when attempts by the priests and UOP to convince nearby police to to stop the march failed, a physical altercation ensued.

Photo by TSpress.ge

@gabo_ge: პოლიციამ იდენტობის სამი აქტივისტი დააკავა მათ შორის ლევან გერიანიძე

@gabo_ge: Police arrested three activists of Identoba, an organization working on LGBT issues.

@temuchin22: მმკ ხალხს სცემს და ნაცემი ხალხი მიჰყავთ განყოფილებაში. მიმიფურთხებია ასეთი სამართალდამცავი ორგანოსთვის! მოვითხოვ მმკელების დაპატიმრებას!

@temuchin22: UOP (Union of Orthodox Parents) beats people and those who got beaten are taken into custody, screw such law enforcement, I demand UOPs to be arrested.

@lishtotah: LGBT activism limited to “holding the very first pride” will only fuel #homophobia in #Tbilisi :queer here:

@JohnHesslewood: If your main argument is ‘how can you promote something like that in the street' then I would ask the same thing of you, christians #tbilisi

Photo by TSpress.ge

Photo by TSpress.ge

Follow this link to view more photos.

The confrontation was denounced by many on Facebook who changed their profile pictures in support of the activists.

'International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia'

Incidentally, this is not the first time the UOP has disrupted a peaceful gathering. In 2008, for example, several young Georgians were attacked for organizing an open air Halloween party.

Georgia: Five Dead in Flash Flood

Onnik Krikorian — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:07:15 +0000

The Young Georgians posts video of this weekend's flash flood in Tbilisi, Georgia. Five people, including two children, are reported dead.

Georgia: Lazika, Facebook, and the Constitution

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:27:09 +0000

Despite growing concerns about plans to build a new city on swamp land, Democracy and Freedom Watch says that Lazika will be included in the country's Constitution. With no transparency in the decision-making process, the blog sarcastically notes that for now the city exists only in the form of a Facebook page.

Georgia: World Press Freedom Day Protest Demonstration

Onnik Krikorian — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:59:48 +0000

The Young Georgians posts photos and video of a protest demonstration held by journalists, bloggers and activists to mark World Press Freedom Day in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Georgia: Face Control

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:11:43 +0000

Evolutsia comments on a new policy of face control for entry into many of the Georgian capital's clubs. The analytical site also ponders how such a policy might affect the revenue of those Tbilisi establishments that have introduced it.

Georgia: Beyond Tbilisi

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:19:59 +0000

Beyond Tbilisi says that local authorities plan to clean up a river full of garbage in June. The blog run by Transparency International Georgia hopes to report on issues outside of the capital and is available in Georgian and English.

Georgia: Concerns over Lazika development

Onnik Krikorian — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 07:28:39 +0000

Writing on The PIK.TV blog, the channel's English-language editor, Tbilisi-based Nicholas Alan Clayton, comments on plans to construct a new city in Georgia. With little transparency in planning the Lazika development, recently referred to as an ‘instant city in a swamp' by the New York Times, the blog says that while many reforms since the 2003 Rose Revolution have been inspiring, this is not one of them.

Georgia: Forbes magazine accused of self-censorship

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:30:45 +0000

The Transparency International Georgia blog examines the case of the Georgian edition of the influential Forbes magazine following the resignation of its editor-in-chief who alleges that the magazine's publishers are practicing self-censorship ahead of parliamentary elections to be held later this year.

Georgia: Tongue-in-cheek development forecast

Onnik Krikorian — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 07:25:11 +0000

A satirical video posted on YouTube takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the development of Georgia ahead of parliamentary elections later this year and a presidential vote in 2013. With the current president, Milhail Saakashvili, unable to run for a third term in office it foresees him following in the footsteps of his nemesis, Russia's Vladimir Putin, by becoming prime minister as Georgia joins NATO, regains the lost territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, hosts world famous rock bands in seaside resorts, launches a space programme, develops a small town to take the place of Amsterdam as a sex-capital, and much, much more.

Azerbaijan: Novruz comes to an end

Onnik Krikorian — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:26:44 +0000

Novruz, the Persian New Year which is also celebrated in Azerbaijan, has come to an end and, using the example of the oil-rich country, Eastbook says that during the holiday it can often be difficult to conduct business or arrange meetings. Nevertheless, it notes that Azerbaijan's Embassy in Georgia was an exception.

Georgia: Anti-discriminatory legislation ahead of Armenia, Azerbaijan

Onnik Krikorian — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:20:36 +0000

Unzipped: Gay Armenia comments on the passage of legislation in Georgia outlawing discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, age, and political as well as religious views. The blog notes that the inclusion of sexual orientation makes Georgia “clearly the most advanced country in the South Caucasus in terms of legislative provisions on LGBT issues.”

Georgia: Bloggers assaulted

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 12:59:24 +0000

Shota tweets that two bloggers were physically assaulted allegedly by representatives of Tbilisi University's Student Union, itself reportedly controlled by the ruling party of power in the country. News of the alleged attack [GE] was spread on Facebook and in the form of a video report by Net Gazeti on YouTube.

Georgia: The return of Vladimir Putin

Onnik Krikorian — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:52:46 +0000

time difference comments on the return of Vladimir Putin to power in Russia following this week's election. The blog says that even if much of the world is concerned by the development, the Georgian government must recognize the reality and not alienate itself from its powerful and sometimes mutually antagonistic neighbor. “Maybe it's time to balance politics and be more diplomatic?” the Georgian blogger asks on Twitter.

Georgia: Online Campaign Targets Russian President's Facebook Page

Mirian Jugheli — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:27:02 +0000

With Russian soldiers stationed in Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a group of Forum.ge [ka] users proposed to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23, by posting anti-occupation comments on Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's Facebook page [ru].

Cyxymu [ru], a Georgian blogger who was the target of attacks on Facebook, Google Blogger, LiveJournal and Twitter, forcing the latter offline for two hours on 7 August, 2009, posted a photo on Facebook alerting many Georgians to the campaign.

More than 200 users of the social networking site then started to post comments and continue to do so.

Дмитрий Анатольевич, я требую вывода российских оккупационных войск из Грузии!

Dmitry Anatolevich, I demand the withdrawal of Russian occupational forces from Georgia!

An hour later comments started to disappear from the page, reported Cyxymu [ru]. Georgians, however, did not stop posting the comments and taking screenshots of Medvedev's Facebook page.

Facebook users later reported that the page was no longer accessible in Georgia, with some alleging it had been blocked. Later, when it was available, many comments left by Georgians users were found to have been deleted.