TBILISI, DFWatch – Tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili expresses solidarity with the Georgian Press and is joining them in a protest outside Tbilisi City Hall on Tuesday at 2 pm.

“Under the cover of a project called ‘supporting small and medium sized enterprises’, the government attacked the free Georgian print media. We think that the City Hall decision to stop newspaper kiosks’ activity is directed not against ‘uhealthy competition’, but against press freedom, freedom of speech and democracy in Georgia,” the statement released by the businessman’s press office says.

Georgian Press Association is organizing a protest rally to be held in front of Tbilisi City Hall on November 29, against City Hall’s decision to remove newspaper kiosks in the city. This might seriously threaten the newspaper sector because it strangles their main distribution channel – street sale.