Protesters should not block pedestrian movement if numbers are insufficient, Parliament Speaker

Georgia’s parliament speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, has said that if a protest does not involve a sufficient number of participants, it should not obstruct the movement of other pedestrians, and police will have the authority to direct people along alternative routes.

Papuashvili was commenting on planned amendments to the law on assemblies and manifestations, which aim to prevent the artificial blocking of pedestrian paths unless the size of the gathering justifies it. The changes also prohibit the use of vehicles or other objects to block foot traffic.

He said the amendments comply with both the Georgian constitution and European Court of Human Rights standards, and stressed that existing notification rules for gatherings will continue to apply. “The principle is the same as with vehicles: if there are not enough people to justify closing a route, it should not be artificially blocked,” he said, adding that there was broad public understanding and adherence to this standard.