Opposition leaders claim there was an attack on sound equipment and computers located at a main anti-government protest site on Rustaveli Avenue at around 11 p.m. Saturday, April 11.
Witnesses reported that around 50 men dressed in casual clothes came to Rustaveli Avenue together with a municipal street-cleaning crew and damaged equipment and and assaulted several people — though no one was hurt — standing in front of the parliament, said the opposition leaders, at 12:15 a.m. at a press briefing.
‘’Computers and sound equipment were taken away and what was left was destroyed. We called the Police office immediately, but they did not appear, explaining that at that moment all the police men were busy,” according to a statement from the press-office of the United Georgia-Democratic Movement, a main opposition group led by former government sympathizer Nino Burjanadze.
Deputy of the Interior affairs minister, Eka Zghuladze, made a special announcement, saying that all the video tapes, taken by the surveillance cameras will be studied.
“There was friction on Rustaveli Avenue, but no police or other municipal or Government personnel were involved in any way in the incident,’’ Zghuladze said. She stated that the policemen did not appear at the incident, because they wanted to avoid more tension.
Eka kherkheulidze, MP, called the incident “a provocation.”
By 2 a.m., people were gathering in front of Parliament and Rustaveli Avenue was blocked again, opposition leaders said.
