Tbilisi marchers demand lifting ban on using masks

Activists in masks who protest against the ban on covering faces during protest actions have joined the Georgians who gathered outside the parliament demanding to go on with the country's European integration and new elections.

More than 500 people have marched from the Tbilisi Philharmonic to the parliament, protesting against the law banning masks and other means of covering faces, a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has reported from the venue.

"This is a repressive law; we are against it; therefore, we came here in masks. But the main demand is early elections," one of the masked protesters has stated.

"I am against Bidzina Ivanishvili, that's why I came here in a Batman mask. Although many compare Bruce Wayne (a comic book character, an industrialist, Batman is the Bruce Wayne's alter ego, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"); and Ivanishvili is a rich man who acts at his own discretion, but there are also differences – Batman encouraged people to take initiative," the girl in the Batman mask has stated.

"These children who came to the rally; their parents are very afraid for them; but it's more dangerous for Georgia to fall under Russia's influence. It is dangerous to lose the country's freedom," the woman in the mask with the image of Bidzina Ivanishvili has added.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 17, law enforcers tried to prevent protesters from blocking traffic in Rustaveli Avenue and threatened those who gathered with fines. On the 51st day of protests in Tbilisi, journalists held a rally in support of Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the "Batumelebi" and "Netgazeti" outlets, who was arrested for attacking a law enforcer.