“As for holding a gathering, everyone is allowed to do so. There were difficulties related to bringing equipment to the site, and for this reason, an appropriate response was given to the organizers of the assembly,” Kobakhidze said, responding to reports that the “Opposition Alliance” had been denied permission to install structures at their May 26 protest.

He also added that the opposition’s planned rally is, in his view, even a positive development, as it will once again demonstrate their “helplessness.”

“Everyone can hold a gathering in our country, to clarify. Here we were talking about the placement of specific equipment. You know that May 26 is a nationally observed date, and there are official events associated with it. Therefore, bringing equipment to the site involved certain difficulties, and the organizers were given an appropriate response. As for holding a gathering, everyone is allowed to do so in our country. On the contrary, I think it will be good - they will once again show their helpless face on May 26,” Kobakhidze said.

For context, one of the leaders of the “Opposition Alliance,” Nika Gvaramia, said that after receiving a negative response from the Tbilisi City Hall, they also received a refusal from the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding the planned protest on May 26.

“After City Hall, the Ministry of Internal Affairs also said no. They even came up with something absurd: they asked why I myself didn’t come. There was plenty of other nonsense too, but the main point is clear: protest is effectively banned in this country, without exaggeration - it is prohibited. ‘Do whatever you want at home’ doesn’t work here, ‘Georgian Dream.’ The rally will take place as the Constitution allows, and the unconstitutional responses of an unconstitutional government will be addressed later by a fair court,” Gvaramia wrote on Facebook.

Previously, Gvaramia also wrote that Tbilisi City Hall had refused the “Opposition Alliance” permission to install structures at the planned May 26 protest.

According to the City Hall response, since official events dedicated to Georgia’s Independence Day are planned in Tbilisi on May 26, traffic patterns will be changed, and the installation of structures - including a stage - near Parliament was deemed unacceptable by the municipality.