Clashes Break Out Near Election HQ in Tbilisi, Police Launch Investigation

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia warned the public to comply with lawful police requests and to “not allow artificial escalation of the situation, Orda.kz reports.

As News Georgia reports, the statement followed September 8 clashes on Melikishvili Street near the election headquarters of Kakha Kaladze, between members of the youth wing of the ruling Georgian Dream party and demonstrators.

Police only appeared after the fight had already begun.

Protesters reported that supporters of the ruling party arrived in several cars, armed with iron rods, and initiated the attack. Another group positioned inside a building allegedly ran out and threw bottles at the protesters.

Gogi Memanishvili, head of the patrol police, stated that “people on both sides have been beaten” and encouraged all those harmed to turn to investigative authorities. He did not provide any information regarding arrests. The number of injured remains unknown.

Among the wounded was a journalist from Publika, who was struck and had his mobile phone — used for filming the incident — confiscated.

At the time, the protesters began moving toward Parliament.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia announced it opened an investigation under Article 126 of the Criminal Code — “violence committed by a group of persons”—following the clash at the Georgian Dream headquarters in Tbilisi. The Ministry described the incident as a “confrontation between citizens.”

It also noted that law enforcement officers who arrived at the scene “took appropriate measures to defuse the situation and prevent further escalation of the conflict.”

Meanwhile, Georgian Dream described the incident as a provocation, accusing the protesters of being “followers of liberal fascism.”

Levan Machavariani, head of the party’s campaign headquarters, said that some Georgian Dream supporters could not tolerate insults.

We are Georgians, and dignity is an inseparable part of our genetic code…when they target your dignity and do it deliberately, shouting frightening words, it’s very hard to restrain people inside the headquarters, Machavariani said.