The obligation to provide prior notice to the Ministry of Internal Affairs is being introduced if an assembly or demonstration is held in a place where people are moving. In addition, similarly to blocking a road, it is prohibited to artificially block a pathway if the number of participants in the assembly or demonstration does not require it. It will also be prohibited to block a pathway with vehicles, various structures and objects.

In this regard, a number of amendments are being made to the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations, which was submitted to the Parliament by the Georgian Dream deputies. The amendments are also being made to the Code of Administrative Offenses in terms of imposing administrative liability.

According to the draft prepared by the Georgian Dream, the necessity of providing prior notice to the Ministry of Internal Affairs is established if a gathering or demonstration is held in a place where people or transport are moving or impedes the movement of transport or people. A warning about the organization and holding of an assembly or demonstration must be filed with the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs no later than 5 days before each assembly or demonstration.

According to the same draft, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be obliged to publicly publish a warning within a reasonable period of time, as well as, in the case of a non-spontaneous assembly or demonstration, a proposed alternative time, place or route, “if the Ministry of Internal Affairs has made a decision on such a proposal”.

In the event of partial or complete blockage of the roadway or pathway by participants in the assembly or demonstration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is authorized to make a decision on opening the roadway or pathway and restoring the movement of transport and people, “if, considering the number of participants in the assembly or demonstration, it is otherwise possible to hold the assembly or demonstration”.

The draft law also states that in the event of a mass blockage of roadway or pathway, an authorized employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is authorized to address the participants and the organizer of the assembly or demonstration to warn them that if the mass blockage of roadway or pathway is not opened within the next 15 minutes, the entire assembly or demonstration will be considered illegal, a decision will be made to terminate the assembly-demonstration, and measures provided for by international law and legislation may be applied.

The Parliament will consider the package of legislative amendments in an expedited manner.