On May 2, the usual gathering spot for protesters in Tbilisi, Rustaveli Avenue, saw a shift in tactics. A relatively small group of activists chose to block Tbilisi’s Heroes Square, the city’s main traffic artery, during rush hour. Heroes Square is a wide area, with multiple car exits, prompting the protesters to split into smaller groups to block as many exits as possible. In a swift response, a large contingent of police moved in to disperse and detain protesters. The small number of protesters made it relatively easy for the police to carry out these actions.
In reaction, the main protest action relocated from Rustaveli to Heroes Square, with tens of thousands of citizens joining a small group of protesters to shield and fortify their positions. This resulted in a complete blockade of Heroes Square, forcing the police to withdraw as it became unfeasible to physically disperse or arrest the protesters. Additionally, the spontaneous nature of the protest made it difficult to deploy riot police, as it takes time to reorganize and Heroes Square’s vast area was not suitable for quick police intervention.
© Photo by OC media
Notably, this marked the first time that Heroes Square in Tbilisi had been blocked, a departure from previous protest rallies. The statement by one activist, “We will block all the roads until the authorities block the road to Europe,” summed up the main message of the protest.
The inability of police or special forces to clear Heroes Square led to violent attacks on protesters by so-called “rent a mob” (“Titushki“) groups, mercenaries hired to intimidate and assault citizens—a tactic used in Ukraine in 2014. They assaulted young people and a middle-aged man with a child. The protesters managed to document the attackers’ vehicle numbers and faces. Although numerous reports were made to the police, as of 8 pm on May 3, there had been no official response or statement on the incident.
As the night went on, protesters shared on Facebook about strange encounters. They mentioned seeing plainclothes police lurking in nearby streets, some even in taxis, targeting solitary protesters. There were reports of suspicious individuals offering rides to participants. Protesters advised each other to avoid being alone and not to engage in conversations or accept rides from strangers.
As TV channel Formula reports, 23 protestors were arrested during the rally on May 2.