tbilisi_city_court

Tbilisi City Court. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has fined two persons who tore down posters announcing Hanukkah.

Wednesday night, two people tore down the posters and damaged the tribune that had been prepared for the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. They were fined 100 lari (USD 60) for hooliganism.

During the court hearing, the detainees Davit Lortkipanidze and Guram Palavandishvili admitted committing the crime.

The tribune was installed on Freedom Square in Tbilisi for the closing celebration of Hanukkah and carried a poster saying ‘The Jewish community wishes you a happy Hanukkah.’

After attempting to damage the tribune and tear down the poster, police came to the spot and remained there until the end of event. About 20 Orthodox Christians activists were gathered on Freedom Square protesting against the Hanukkah celebration.

Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili came and lit the first candle and congratulated the Jewish people on the holiday. While this took place, the Orthodox Christians activists started shouting ‘don’t you lit that candle’.

Orthodox activists said it is an insult against them when President Margvelashvili attends and pays tribute to a Jewish celebration.

November 27, at the beginning of the Hanukkah celebration, President Margvelashvili, Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava and other officials issued statements congratulating the Jewish community.

In the first day there was organized an event at Rustaveli Theatre attended by the prime minister, other government officials, foreign diplomats, as well as a delegation from Israel.

Some of the Orthodox clerics who were on Freedom Square Wednesday evening said that they have nothing against the Jewish people, only their celebrations.