Tbilisi Mayor accuses EU countries of double standards over protests in Georgia and Europe

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has accused European Union countries of supporting “extremist groups” and “encouraging violent protests” in Georgia, claiming they are now facing similar unrest at home.

Responding to a journalist’s question about reports alleging that the European Commission and billionaire philanthropist George Soros had funded protests in Europe, Kaladze said he did not know who had financed the demonstrations but pointed to a “serious unrest” across several EU countries.

“Violent demonstrations and clashes are taking place. Violence is categorically unacceptable,” Kaladze said.

He alleged that “extremist organisations” in Georgia had received funding from EU countries and US-based organisations to fuel polarisation and attempt to bring about a revolution or overthrow the government.

Kaladze said the Georgian authorities “had been forced” to amend legislation and take other measures to stop these activities. He argued that European countries were now experiencing the same kind of unrest that he claimed they had previously encouraged in Georgia.

The mayor also accused European officials of applying double standards, saying they had failed to condemn violent groups during protests in Georgia and were not speaking out against police dispersal of demonstrations in EU countries.

“These are ordinary double standards. People can see this and judge for themselves,” he said.