Journalists are being detained, blocked from recording, insulted and journalistic materials are being taken away from at the protest rallies started in Tbilisi and Batumi May 21.
May 22 Netgazeti journalist Tamaz Kupreishvili was hit in the stomach with a flag-stick by Anzor Bitsadze, son of the former chairman of Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze when he was trying to get a comment from Burjanadze on the incident taken place in front of the public broadcaster building.
“Nino Burjanadze told me to go and interview policemen and instantly her son hit me in the stomach with a flag-stick, although it did not hurt,” Tamaz Kupreishvili told Media.ge.
According to him, Burjanadze’s press service has contacted him saying that Anzor Bitsadze wants to meet him and apologize for the “misunderstanding” that has taken place.
News agency Interpressnews reported May 22 that an unidentified person in civil clothing took away the video-recording of the clash that took place at the Kostava Avenue in front of the public broadcaster building from their correspondent.
Journalists are being detained, blocked from recording, insulted and journalistic materials are being taken away from at the protest rallies started in Tbilisi and Batumi May 21.
May 22 Netgazeti journalist Tamaz Kupreishvili was hit in the stomach with a flag-stick by Anzor Bitsadze, son of the former chairman of Georgian parliament Nino Burjanadze when he was trying to get a comment from Burjanadze on the incident taken place in front of the public broadcaster building.
“Nino Burjanadze told me to go and interview policemen and instantly her son hit me in the stomach with a flag-stick, although it did not hurt,” Tamaz Kupreishvili told Media.ge.
According to him, Burjanadze’s press service has contacted him saying that Anzor Bitsadze wants to meet him and apologize for the “misunderstanding” that has taken place.
News agency Interpressnews reported May 22 that an unidentified person in civil clothing took away the video-recording of the clash that took place at the Kostava Avenue in front of the public broadcaster building from their correspondent.
May 22 morning police has used rubber bullets, special gas and batons against the participants of the protest rally of the Public Assembly requesting resignation of Saakashvili’s government in front of the public broadcaster (TV-Channel 1). Police used force after the rally participants damaged a police car with flag-sticks. According to the rally participants they went into the “clash” with the police after the policemen tried to kidnap several activists of the rally.
May 21 in front of the Ajara TV-Station when the law enforcers forced out of the territory the protest rally participants, the editor-in-chief of the Batumelebi newspaper Eter Turadze was restricted to move freely. Eter Turadze said in a telephone interview that up to 20 policemen did not allow her to leave the Ajara TV-Station territory, claiming the reason for her own safety.
Also May 21 the rally participants “advised” quite harshly the cameraman of journalist Imeda Darsalia crew to turn off the camera. The conversation grew into a serious dispute. The situation was eased after Imeda Darsalia explained the rally participants that he was the GNS Studio journalist.
Interpress News correspondent was also advised not to record the given incident. Rally participants insulted the Interpess journalists while requesting to turn off the camera.
The protest rally is still continuing in front of the public broadcaster building. Second Channel of the public broadcaster has been showing the live broadcast of the rally since the morning.
Source: Media.ge