Earlier on Thursday, Georgian opposition lawmakers left the session as the president of the assembly, Sergey Gavrilov, a member of the Russian delegation, opened the session in the seat of the head of the Georgian parliament. The session was interrupted and the building was assaulted by radicals. Gavrilov later said that water was splashed over him.
According to Georgia's 1TV broadcaster, protesters demand the resignation of the parliamentary speaker and the interior minister over the incident.
Came to Georgia to moderate a panel about protests and, like magic, people are storming the parliament..: pic.twitter.com/oB3S0bc4r1
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) 20 июня 2019 г.
Police firing a LOT of tear gas cannisters trying to disperse the crowd outside parliament in Tbilisi. At least one person is in an ambulance pic.twitter.com/vOtxVKzLU0
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) 20 июня 2019 г.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said later on Thursday he was ready to leave his post if necessary.
"No problem, I will resign if there is such a need", the minister told reporters.
Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze has welcomed a "justified public protest", but stressed that the opposition was trying to politicize the protests and destabilize the situation.
"This picture [involving the Russian lawmaker] provoked the reaction of every citizen, and I agree with this protest. It was a justified protest, but what is happening in the last two hours is violence [...] The United National Movement is trying to destabilize the situation in the country", Bakhtadze told reporters.
Tear gas has been deployed against protesters near Tbilisi parliament https://t.co/o6t1mpitmspic.twitter.com/Fhm3M7Irp5 via @G_Valashvili#Caucasus
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) 20 июня 2019 г.
Meanwhile, local police reportedly fired rubber bullets at protesters near the country's parliament building.
Situation is dangerously tense in #Tbilisi as protesters & riot police are facing off in front of the parliament. Strong political leadership is needed on both sides to maintain control of the situation pic.twitter.com/zJ0we51Oqn
— Giorgi Gogia (@Giorgi_Gogia) 20 июня 2019 г.
According to the Rustavi 2 broadcaster, a reporter from Georgia's 1TV was hit by a rubber bullet amid ongoing clashes with local police. "A journalist from Georgia's state-run broadcaster was injured. There are many people were injured. Clashes [are] ongoing", Rustavi 2 reported.
#Breaking: Just in - Riot police forces are shooting tear gas towards Protestors in front of the parliament building in #Tbilisi in the country of #Georgia. pic.twitter.com/h32gfZRIdQ
— Sotiri Dimpinoudis (@sotiridi) 20 июня 2019 г.