Kakha Kaladze: You cannot provide a single example of an official attacking a citizen; No one has the right to approach someone and insult them – Insults will always trigger a response

Violence will always receive an appropriate response, said Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze in response to an incident in Abu Dhabi, where "Georgian Dream" MPs Irakli Zarkua, Viktor Sanikidze, and Gela Samkharauli allegedly engaged in a physical altercation with citizen Lasha Gabitashvili.

According to Kaladze, when an official is insulted, they cannot just lower their head and walk away in silence.

"A deputy or official does not attack anyone. Of course, I’ve seen this, and no one is allowed to insult someone verbally or physically. You won’t find a single instance of a parliamentarian or any official attacking a citizen. No one has the right to approach a person sitting peacefully, having breakfast, and insult them verbally. Violence is unacceptable to me; I’ve made this clear many times. When there’s an insult, there will always be a response. Everyone needs to understand this. You’re trying to instill the notion that if someone insults an official, they should just bow their head and walk away. That won’t happen. Violence will always be met with an appropriate response," Kaladze said.

He also accused "Mtavari Arkhi" (Main Channel) of promoting violence.

"You are the television channel that encourages violence in the country. I don’t recall your station or you personally, Madam Journalist, ever condemning a single incident of violence. For example, when Elisashvili cowardly and sneakily approached Mdinaradze and physically assaulted him, what statements were made on your channels? What statuses did you post? When violence was committed against your fellow journalists, you never condemned it. None of you stood in solidarity with those individuals. That’s who you are; this is your true face. You are the ones who encourage violence and support polarization in the country," Kaladze told the journalist.

For context, in Abu Dhabi, "Georgian Dream" MPs Irakli Zarkua, Viktor Sanikidze, and Gela Samkharauli allegedly engaged in a physical confrontation with citizen Lasha Gabitashvili. Footage of the incident has circulated on social media.

The altercation reportedly occurred in a hotel dining area. The video shows Irakli Zarkua throwing food at Gabitashvili and physically confronting him, followed by Viktor Sanikidze joining the altercation.

Later, Lasha Gabitashvili released a video statement explaining that the incident stemmed from an earlier confrontation, during which he called Zarkua and Sanikidze "Russian slaves." It’s worth noting that the previous incident involved both parties exchanging verbal insults.

Michał Kobosko - we hope that your government eventually would either choose the European way, the democratic way or would resign seeing the number, the size and scale of the citizens' protests