The Democracy Research Institute continues to monitor the activities of far-right groups and their leaders on their Facebook pages and online media.  

In November media monitoring revealed messages that characterize far-right rhetoric in Georgia and studied groups that are most often targeted by far-right groups and their leaders. 

In November, as in previous months, far-right groups and their leaders used social media to mobilize supporters for the protests. Planning, organizing, and disseminating current information was mainly done via Facebook. 

Discrediting campaign and November protests

In November, media monitoring[1] revealed that far-right groups, including ,,Georgian Idea,’’ ,,Georgian March,’’ ,,Child Rights Society’’ and Youth Centre – “Morality”, developed and disseminated messages in a coordinated manner and mainly aimed at discrediting target groups. In November, the main common interest for far-right groups were two issues: 1) to disrupt the movie premiere of the queer theme film “And Then We Danced" and 2) to discredit the November protests. 

In November, the film "And Then We Danced” united traditionally opposed far-right groups: ,,Georgian March’’ and ,,Alt-Info’’ which supports businessman Levan Vasadze. Together with Guram Palavandishvili[2], they started a joint campaign to disrupt the movie premier. Far-right leaders used identical hate speech terms such as "propaganda of filth," “showing depravity'' and ,,the Sin of Sodomy” to describe the film. 

On November 8, 9 and 10 these groups attempted to disrupt the premiere of the Georgian-Swedish movie "And Then We Danced". 

Facebook pages with far-rightist rhetoric, such as "GEO Pepe", "Don't be Liberal, Think", "Georgian Page" and "Anti-Paradox" shared narratives that discredited producers of the film ,,And then we danced'' and associated them with the political party – the United National Movement.

The second major issue that united part of the far-right groups was the November protests triggered by the Georgian Dream's failure to pass a constitutional bill. Facebook pages: “Cardhoo”, “Fifth Column”, "Don't be Liberal, Think", “Georgian Page” and “Geo Pepe” disseminated disinformation, calling the demonstrators a "sect of blasphemy.’’ In addition, they actively sought to link the United National Movement with the protests. Representatives of the Georgian Dream also responded to the rallies with identical messages. 

November protests were also discredited by pro-Russian media outlets such as “Georgia and the World” and “Sakinform”. 

David Lortkipanidze, leader of the Youth Centre “Morality", was also active in the far-right discourse in November. He, along with Guram Phalavandishvili, held protests on November 21-22 against the Council of Europe campaign "I Choose Equality". Their main messages were directed against the LGBT community, feminists and liberals. "No gender at school - our children are in danger," protesters chanted at the rally. Equating liberalism with the hostility of Christianity and pedophilia distinguishes the "Zneoba" group from other far-right forces.

The monitoring was possible with the financial support of the Embassy of the Netherlands in the framework of the project "Understanding and Combating Far-Right Extremism and Ultra-Nationalism in Georgia”.

[1] meaning  monitoring social media

[2] Chairman of the” Society for the Protection of Children's Rights”