“Democracy Research Institute” (DRI) continues monitoring of the Facebook Pages of ultra-nationalist and far-right groups’ and their leaders’ and the main tendencies of the activity in social media.

In June, besides monitoring 12 Facebook pages of far-right groups and their leaders’, DRI’s research objects were six online media outlets as well.

In June, the far-right discourse was sharply homophobic. The rhetoric of far-right groups was further aggravated in the light of Tbilisi Pride announced in June. The monitored groups actively launched anti-campaign against the LGBTQ community. The following Facebook pages were particularly active: "Cardhu", "Anti-Paradox" and "Do not be liberal-minded, think." The targeted discrediting of LGBTQ community, which started on June 20 with the “Gavrilov’s Night” protest rallies continued in the last decade of June too. Far-right groups actively and purposely launched a discrediting campaign and linked organizing the current rallies to LGBTQ community.

The discrediting campaign started after Tbilisi Pride and so-called “Gavrilov’s Night”, was going on Facebook pages of far-right group leaders as well. The leaders were actively calling on their followers to avert all the attempts of holding Tbilisi Pride. They were presenting UNM members, LGBTQ activists and drug addicts as the organizers of so-called “Gavrilov’s Night” rallies. In addition, within the campaign, they only shared footage and posters showing violence by demonstrators against policemen and distributed photo-video materials, where facts of violence by Special Forces were less visible.

In parallel to the discrediting the protest rallies, representatives of the far-right groups were directly or indirectly engaged in Russian propaganda, were pointing out on severe economic consequences of the Russian embargo and were using anti-Western rhetoric.
Anti-Western, anti-liberal attitudes were distinguished by monitored online media outlets. They have frequently published materials containing homophobic, xenophobic and anti-immigrant content. Among them are the pro-Russian internet web pages, such as "Georgia and the World" and "Sakinform”.

Even though Georgian far-right groups are actively positioning on Facebook, they have not taken advantage of other important social networks or forums such as Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

The Project "Understanding and Combating Far-Right Extremism and Ultra-Nationalism in Georgia” is being implemented with the financial support of the Embassy of the Netherlands and aims to prevent far-right radicalism and extremism in Georgia.