On July 7, 2019, Rustavi 2 TV host Giorgi Gabunia insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin live on air. The TV channel condemned Gabunia’s behavior as categorically unacceptable and distanced itself from it, while government officials described the incident as an act of hostility against the country.

Angered by Gabunia’s remarks, people quickly gathered outside Rustavi 2 headquarters. At the spontaneous protest, demonstrators brought eggs and brooms, demanding first the resignation and then the punishment of Gabunia and the station’s director, Nika Gvaramia. Some protesters aggressively called on employees to leave the building. During the protest, one of the channel’s cameramen stopped working, left his camera in the yard, and quit on the spot.

Rustavi 2 temporarily suspended broadcasting. Director Nika Gvaramia urged the government to ensure the safety of the station’s staff, announcing that the channel would remain off-air until security guarantees were provided. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that it was maintaining order at the protest and protecting the employees’ safety.

The crowd dispersed late that night, saying the rally had been spontaneous but promising to organize larger protests later. The next morning, on July 8, Rustavi 2 resumed normal broadcasting, and demonstrations continued. That same day, the station’s self-regulatory body suspended Giorgi Gabunia’s on-air privileges for two months.

Former Defense Minister Tengiz Kitovani, a controversial figure associated with the civil war of the early 1990s, also appeared at the protest, remarking that such internal confrontations were “not good” for the country. His presence marked one of the first times in years that a figure linked to the Tbilisi civil conflict was seen at a public protest.