Professors, lecturers, and doctoral students from Georgia’s higher educational institutions have criticized Tuesday’s dispersal of a peaceful protest near Tbilisi State University against the results of last month’s general elections.
Around 400 individuals had signed a joint statement denouncing the incident by Wednesday morning.
“The university, whose doors should always remain open for students and professors, acted against its principle mission by closing its gates and enabling security forces to attack peaceful protesters, including its own students,” the statement reads. “This act undermines the university’s symbolic role as a bastion of freedom and progress, violates academic independence, and contradicts its historic mission.”
Signatories emphasized their duty to stand with students advocating for freedom. “Educational spaces, especially TSU, as the first national university, must safeguard fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, irrespective of beliefs or opinions. This cornerstone principle has been grossly violated,” they asserted.
The protest, tied to demands for re-run following the disputed October 26 parliamentary elections, escalated after footage broadcasted by FormulaTV appeared to show police entering the university yard early on Tuesday, shortly before protesters were forcibly removed.
Protesters, who had set up tents on Chavchavadze Avenue near the university, were cleared by police around 7:00 a.m. The Ministry of Internal Affairs defended the action, citing laws prohibiting the artificial blocking of transportation routes unless justified by the size of the assembly.
