Church strongly criticizes Georgian leader`s call for schools to support demonstrations

(MENAFN) The Georgian Orthodox Church has condemned President Salome Zourabichvili for urging schools to support ongoing pro-EU protests in Tbilisi, particularly due to the violent actions of some demonstrators. The Church expressed concern, saying that any encouragement for minors to be involved in protests, especially from the president, is deeply troubling.

The Church's statement follows earlier support for the protests from university lecturers, who had encouraged their students to participate. The Church called on the president to focus on reducing societal divisions and hatred rather than provoking unrest, as the current situation could harm the future generation's well-being.

Archpriest Andria Dzhagmaidze of the Georgian Patriarchate criticized Zourabichvili’s call, humorously suggesting that next, she might ask kindergartens to join the protests. The controversy arose after the president posted on X (formerly Twitter) that schools should express their solidarity with the protests, following the involvement of universities.

The protests began after the controversial results of the general elections in early November and escalated when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared a halt to talks on Georgia joining the EU until 2028, accusing the West of interfering in Georgian politics. Kobakhidze labeled the protests as an "attack on the constitutional order" and warned against comparisons to the 2014 Ukrainian Maidan revolution.

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