On July 11, 2021, TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava was found dead at home by his mother. He was one of more than 50 journalists attacked by homophobic groups on July 5, 2021. He was brutally beaten by dozens of people in the stairwell of the “Shame Movement” office. Despite objections from the family, police transferred his body to the forensic bureau.

That same day, the leader of the “Droa” movement, Elene Khoshtaria, poured red paint on the government administration building in protest. Twenty NGOs issued a joint statement demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri. More than 70 media outlets also released a joint appeal to diplomatic corps and international organizations in Georgia, calling for an immediate response to the government’s inaction over the July 5 violence.

In the evening, the head of the Criminal Police, Mamuka Chelidze, held a briefing and, while discussing Lashkarava’s possible cause of death, hinted at drug use. The briefing came an hour before a protest rally in Tbilisi, where journalists were the main speakers. They demanded the government’s resignation, setting a deadline of noon the next day. Otherwise, they said they would launch continuous protests and refuse to cover any other topics. A similar rally was held in Batumi on July 11.

The next day, media managers went to Parliament to demand the government’s resignation, which led to clashes. Some of them entered the session hall. In protest, the opposition majority left the chamber, and the United National Movement announced it was suspending parliamentary work.

Protests continued outside Parliament on July 12. Demonstrators later marched to the ruling Georgian Dream party’s office, where 12 protesters were detained by police.

Lekso Lashkarava was buried on July 13. By that time, only five of the dozens of perpetrators involved in the July 5 violence had been arrested.

On the day of the funeral, MP Shalva Papuashvili (who later became Speaker of Parliament) said: “They are staging a political performance even in mourning. They choose the footage. Filming the burial by drone… They talk about murder, but in fact, they themselves killed the media today.”

Also on July 13, journalists interrupted a Health Ministry briefing, demanding accountability for the perpetrators and the resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

Another rally took place on July 17 in front of Parliament. Journalists took turns speaking from the stage, demanding the prime minister’s resignation. In Batumi, the “Shame Movement” held a parallel protest. Protesters carried placards showing Bidzina Ivanishvili labeled “Russian oligarch,” Levan Vasadze labeled “Russian agent,” and Alt-Info member Zurab Makharadze with the slogan “Punish the guilty.”

On July 18, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri appeared before Parliament to address the July 5 events. The session was disrupted as journalists and opposition MPs protested. Opposition members approached the tribune and prevented him from continuing. During his speech, UNM MP Tina Bokuchava attempted to approach the speaker’s chair, but ruling party MP Shalva Papuashvili forcibly removed her by grabbing her shoulders.

On July 20, journalists held another protest at Mtatsminda Park, where Georgian Dream was presenting its Tbilisi mayoral candidate, Kakha Kaladze. During the event, party member Gia Volski snatched Lekso Lashkarava’s photo from a journalist’s hands.

No one has been convicted for organizing the group violence of July 5.