Police Used Special Means to Control Demonstrators
The Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, talked about the police’s use of special means during a recent demonstration. He was asked if any substances were mixed into the water jet used by the police.
According to Darakhvelidze, the law allows the police to use special measures when necessary. These can be either passive or active. Passive measures protect the police from violent protesters. Active measures include using water cannons, pepper spray, and other means.
The Deputy Minister said that the police used these methods based on the threat level and what was needed to prevent damage. Water cannons were used, as well as pepper spray in some cases. Other special means may have been used too, but Darakhvelidze did not provide more information.
He explained that the police had a long operation, lasting around 12 hours, near the parliament building. During this time, all available units were deployed and they used all the special means allowed by law.