Mikheil Kavelashvili has signed into law the recently adopted amendments regulating assemblies and demonstrations. The changes, approved by Parliament earlier this week under an accelerated procedure, were published in the Legislative Herald and took effect immediately.
The amended legislation expands existing restrictions to include protests held in pedestrian zones. Under the new rules, the Ministry of Internal Affairs must issue a prior warning if an assembly or demonstration takes place in areas designated for pedestrian movement.
In addition, the law now explicitly prohibits the artificial obstruction of pedestrian walkways — mirroring the existing ban on blocking roads used by vehicles — unless the number of participants objectively requires such use of space. It will also be forbidden to block pedestrian areas with cars, structures, or other objects.
Image: IPN
