The demonstration started at 5:00 pm with slogans “We Demand Freedom of Expression”, “No to Fascism.” About 15 people participated in the demonstration; among them were journalists, human rights defenders and artists. They protested the demonstration organized by the Union of Orthodox Parents on May 3; the orthodox parents demanded the resignation of the rector of the Ilia State University Gigi Tevzadze because he had presented the book by Erekle Deisadze; the orthodox parents also demanded to stop selling the book.
Most of the organizers of the demonstration on May 4 had not read the book. “I have not read it yet. I bought it today and will read it. It makes no difference what is written in it. It is the 21st century and we have right to freedom of expression; so we are protecting our rights here,” said Ninia Kakabadze to the journalists.
Teo Khatiashvili, the cinema scientist said that if we wanted to escape the Soviet Union, because somebody permanently dictated us how to live and think, we should not do the same today by imposing different values on us.
Several minutes after the demonstration started, a group of young people joined them shouting. “You are nasty people. Don’t you want your children grow up properly? I am afraid of pedophiles and zoophiles. Are you fascists and enemies of Georgian nation?”they were shouting. Soon, the young people left the demonstration but later they returned with more people.
Scolding and insulting turned into a quarrel gradually. The security guard of the Ilia State University tried to calm down the people. The members of the Union of the Orthodox Parents arrived at the place who said the supporters of the book insulted our history, present life and future, our faith and moral. “They are dishonest, spoilt people who want to introduce the disgusting books into the institutions,” said the representatives of the Union.
Part of the demonstrators decided to leave the area peacefully. However, the opponents followed them. In front of journalists they insulted and physically assaulted the lector of the university Simon Janashia and demonstrators.
The book of Erekle Deisadze was presented at the Ilia State University on April 15 in the literature café “Ligamus” at the university. Initially the café had only 20 books but now all of them are sold out. The book has been in great demand since May 2, when the protest demonstration was organized against it.
