Ethnic Azerbaijani and Georgian locals confront each other in Dmanisi
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Tuesday, May 18
The Ministry of Internal Affairs called on the citizens in Dmanisi to obey the police so as not to contribute to the escalation of the conflict into an artificial ethnic confrontation.
According to the MIA, the investigative measures carried out at this stage have established that on May 16, locals confronted each other on the ground in Dmanisi, which grew into a group violence. The employees of the MIA were mobilized on the spot to maintain public order.
CCTV footage published by media and social networks show that ethnic Georgian and Azerbaijani students physically confront each other. The footage shows young people hitting each other with sticks in a hand-to-hand fight. As can be seen in the video footage, the police were trying to defuse the situation. They detained persons involved in the confrontation. According to media outlets working at the scene, several people were injured in the confrontation, including police officers. The cars were damaged.
According to the locals, the reason for the controversy was the dispute that started in one of the shops. Several ethnic Georgians entered the store and demanded beers without paying, which the were refused, because they had not paid their debts in the past. The seller and the owner say their answer was followed by verbal abuse and threats. The shop is owned by ethnic Azerbaijanis.
The family member of the shop owner and the citizens confronted each other which led to calls to police who arrived to calm down the situation on the spot.
Later, the persons involved in the incident near the store returned to the scene with a large group, after which a fight started between them and those gathered near the store.
Dmanisi locals and government officials rule out ethnic motives in the fight.
The situation became tense on Monday morning, after ethnic Azerbaijanis who were injured in yesterday's confrontation, tried to hold a rally in Dmanisi. Ethnic Georgians living in Dmanisi came out in the streets to express their opinion against them. Police and riot police stood between ethnic Azerbaijanis and eco-migrants from Svaneti to prevent physical retaliation.
Mayor of Dmanisi Giorgi Tatuashvili says that the police investigation launched under the article of violence between young people, which, according to him, could have happened for any reason.
The interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri arrived in Dmanisi, and stated that “The fact is very unfortunate,” and this issue should not escalate into ethnic controversy. He also emphasized that despite raised police presence, the force was not enough.
Later that day, representatives of the opposing parties attended a meeting at Dmanisi City Hall, where the sides said the conflict was over.
The meeting was also attended by members of parliament, Muslim clerics, representatives of local authorities and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
