On June 14, 2019, Tbilisi Pride announced a protest titled “State, Where Are You?” in front of the Government Administration building. The demonstration came amid growing tensions surrounding the planned Pride Week, scheduled for June 18–23. Although organizers had been in communication with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on May 31 the ministry stated that it could not guarantee the safety of Pride participants. The Georgian Orthodox Church also called on authorities to prevent the march from taking place.

“Tbilisi Pride organizers and activists will remain in front of the Government Administration until representatives of the executive and legislative branches — Mamuka Bakhtadze, Giorgi Gakharia, and Irakli Kobakhidze — appear and make public statements about the ongoing situation around Tbilisi Pride. It is time and crucial that the state clearly show where it stands and what values it represents,” the organizers wrote in their statement.

That evening, activists arriving at the site were met by homophobic groups and police. According to the activists, the police did not allow them to hold the rally directly in front of the building, so they moved to the stairs, where hundreds of officers separated them from aggressive counter-protesters. The activists sat on the steps holding banners reading: “Come out for love,” “Come out for dignity,” “Come out for freedom.”

On the opposite side of the police line were members of the Orthodox Parents’ Union, priests, activists from the Georgian March movement, and businessman Levan Vasadze. Their posters read: “Homosexuals will burn in hell unless they repent.” They hurled verbal abuse, bottles, eggs, and balls at the queer activists and were also hostile toward journalists. A representative of the Patriarchate’s press office, Andria Jagmaidze, attended the scene, saying he wanted to “observe the situation.”

The counter-protesters attempted several times to break through the police cordon and reach the Pride activists. Politicians from the Republican Party and European Georgia joined the event in support of the activists, criticizing the state for failing to uphold freedom of expression. Deputy Public Defender Giorgi Burjanadze also arrived to monitor the situation but was met with threats and insults from the counter-protesters.

The queer activists announced that they would not leave until government officials made official statements regarding Pride. Later, however, they agreed to leave the area with police escort, even though officials had made no public comment. Some activists were taken away in a police minibus.

Once counter-protesters confirmed that the queer activists had left, they too dispersed.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that 28 individuals were detained on administrative charges of resisting police and petty hooliganism for attempting to break through the cordon and throwing eggs at peaceful demonstrators, their supporters, and journalists.