A confrontation occurred at the April 9 Memorial between Deputy Minister of Culture Beka Davituliani and civil activist Mariam Mekantsishvili. Davituliani physically confronted the civil activist, after which he left the area.

Earlier, Davituliani had visited the memorial together with the Chairman of the City Assembly, its members, and Deputy Mayors of Tbilisi to pay tribute to the memory of those killed on April 9. Afterwards, he made comments to the media, in which he focused on the shouts directed at government representatives while they were at the memorial.

“I was simply expecting that even in sorrow they would behave as they should,” Davituliani noted.

A journalist asked Davituliani what he meant by talking about “mental problems on the part of citizens,” to which he replied: “What is happening here… this is a mental disorder.”

It was during his comments to the media that civil activist Mariam Mekantsishvili approached him and called him a “traitor and Russian.”

“You are anti-national, Russian. Traitor of the country. You should not be standing here. Russian slave, traitor of the country. Seller of the country’s interests. You disgrace Ilia and Vazha,” Mekantsishvili addressed Beka Davituliani.

In response, Beka Davituliani told Mariam Mekantsishvili that he was not interested in her opinion.

“I’m not interested in your opinion at all. You can turn around… Okay, I heard you, turn around! Oh dear, now you’re trying so hard to insult me, but I won’t let you… Step aside,” Davituliani told Mekantsishvili.

“Move your hand, seller of the country, slave, Russian slave,” Mekantsishvili replied.

“I heard you, now leave. Oh dear, oh dear, ‘my heart is breaking’ — I’m so scared of what you’re saying to me,” Davituliani said to Mekantsishvili, at which point he touched her with his hand.

Citizens and law enforcement officers remain in front of the Parliament.