On January 12, the 46th day of protest in Georgia, a joint corporate event for judges took place at the Babilo restaurant on Beliashvili Street in Tbilisi. The event was hosted by Levan Murusidze, a judge at the Court of Appeal and member of the High Council of Justice.
While the judges were celebrating inside, a protest rally organized by citizens, civil activists, and parents of those arrested during recent protests unfolded outside the restaurant.
As guests entered the venue, they were met with loud chants of "Slaves, slaves! Eat fire, slaves!" as well as whistles. One protest banner read, “A corrupt court is abolishing democracy and human rights.”
As the protest intensified, some of the guests began to leave the restaurant, while police arrived at the scene.
Actress Nanka Kalatozishvili, a participant in the protest, expressed her frustration, saying, "When I saw the footage of tearful mothers and the judge saying, "I'm having a party, how could I stay home?' I felt compelled to come here and protest against these judges, who haven’t even been to court."
Meanwhile, a Yandex Food truck arrived at the restaurant, but protesters prevented it from delivering food, citing rumors that the staff may have tampered with it. The driver confirmed that he was instructed to remove the food, not deliver it.
During the protest, a Tabula journalist captured footage of one of the event’s guests smoking inside the building.
At one point, protesters gathered near the restaurant and called on Levan Murusidze to come out, but he refused to answer questions from either the media or citizens.
Nine people were arrested during the protest.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that all detainees were held under administrative law for violations of Articles 166 and 173.
Tensions on the ground escalated at several points, prompting the deployment of additional police forces, including officers from the Special Tasks Department.
By the end of the day, the judges exited the restaurant through a police cordon.