Police arrested six opposition activists at a protest rally against cutting trees in one of the Tbilisi’s parks on February 25, reports say.
It was the latest in the series of protests in recent weeks by a group of locals, opposition activists and environmentalists, who have been opposing cutting down trees in part of the Kikvidze Park to pave way for construction of what is reported to be a new building for a local police station in the capital city’s district of Nadzaladevi.
Among the arrested activists is Lasha Chkhartishvili of opposition Conservative Party, who is also an active campaigner on environmental-related issues.
Police detained him on the construction site when he tried to obstruct a digging machine to carry on its work.
One activist from the opposition Georgia’s Way party was also arrested. Four others detained by the police were activists from the youth wing of Georgian Dream public movement, led by Bidzina Ivanishvili, reports say.
Later on the same day the Tbilisi City Court fined Chkhartishvili and five others of GEL 400 each and released. Chkhartishvili said his actions were not illegal because he was obstructing “illegal construction” in the park.