Tbilisi Pride Festival Canceled as Anti-LGBTQ Mob Storms Event

Tbilisi Pride, a LGBTQ festival in the Georgian capital, was canceled after a far-right mob numbering in the hundreds stormed the event, vandalizing the stage, burning rainbow flags, and looting the area. The incident highlights the widespread animosity towards sexual minorities in Georgia, a country with a strong Orthodox Christian influence. Critics accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of tacitly supporting homophobic and nationalist groups. Organizers criticized law enforcement for failing to use proportional force against the attackers and instead compelling attendees to leave on prearranged buses. The European Union and Western diplomatic missions condemned the violent attack, while President Salome Zourabichvili warned that the ruling party supports violence and takes responsibility for the consequences.