Georgian Parliament Speaker blames EU for normalising Molotov cocktail violence

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday criticised the European Union, holding it responsible for the rise in Molotov cocktail incidents during protests, following a court verdict involving a fourth individual linked to such acts.

In a social media post, Papuashvili connected the incidents to the EU-funded “I Threw It” campaign, which he claimed promoted violent extremism.

"Today, a verdict was passed on the fourth person related to a Molotov cocktail, which once again confirms the scale of extremism we witnessed during last year’s violent demonstrations. It is hard not to see the connection between the growing number of pyromaniacs and the ‘I Threw It’ campaign promoting Molotov cocktails, which was funded by the European Union”, Papuashvili said.

The Speaker called on the EU Ambassador Paweł Herczyński to publicly denounce the use of petrol bombs, asserting that “the EU Ambassador cannot escape this responsibility until he publicly and clearly distances himself from the production and throwing of petrol bombs in the name of the European Union”.

Papuashvili concluded by expressing dismay at the EU’s stance, stating that “it is truly shameful that Brussels equates the European Union with violence”, highlighting his concern over the perceived normalisation of violent acts under the guise of protest.