On March 5, the founders of Crab Coffee, a Tbilisi café known for providing free hot beverages to protesters on Rustaveli Avenue, were assaulted in their neighborhood. Kristi Pirveli, one of the owners, reported that her colleague, identified as Barbi, suffered a broken nose and required surgery, while Pirveli herself sustained a broken tooth and a spleen injury.
Pirveli shared the incident on Facebook, stating, “Friends, unfortunately, Crab Coffee will not be open today. Barbi and I were attacked in the neighborhood and are currently being questioned.”
The assault occurred amid ongoing protests in Georgia, which have persisted for over two months. Demonstrators are demanding early elections and the release of approximately fifty individuals accused of offenses such as attacking police officers and organizing riots. Recently, there has been an increase in attacks on government critics, particularly those actively participating in protests.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) says the Crab Coffee employees had conflict with a person inside the store, which later escalated into a verbal and physical confrontation outside the store. The MIA arrested one person in connection with the incident.
