The demonstration planned by the NGO Identoba, which was intended to be held on Rustaveli Avenue today, was not only disrupted, but it caused mass clashes and violent riot on Tbilisi`s central avenue. While the LGBT supporters were intending to protect their rights by a flash-mob performance, the clergymen of the Orthodox Church, their worshippers and civilians, announced their decision that they would not accept the rallies of sexual minorities in their city. The tension was felt from the very beginning. The police set up live chain and iron gates to protect the two sides from confrontation, but the crowd managed to break through the police and run towards the participants of the other rally.
When it became clear that the crowd might abuse the LGBT supporters, the police put them in buses and took away from the territory to a safer place, but the crowd began to hunt on the participants of the Identoba rally even on the narrow streets. Several people were seriously injured in the clash; two of them are police officers. One officer has his leg broken, while the other has an injury on his hand.
One of the secured people, as it was reported a minor, fell from the bus, as the crowd opened its door. The protestor was seriously injured and hospitalized.
Some of the clergymen called on the crowd to move to the Holy Trinity Cathedral and conduct a holy rite.