Two people were briefly arrested on April 29 in the village of Shulaveri in Marneuli municipality, populated mostly by ethnic Azerbaijanis, as tensions flared between protesting farmers and police.
The Interior Ministry said the arrests were made for “disobeying police.” Video footage from the scene showed the arrests followed protesters’ attempt to block the road to traffic. The two were later released on their own recognizance, according to RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, as protests continued.
According to local Radio Marneuli, the protest stems from farmers’ difficulties selling local products amid competition from imports. “Participants of the protest complain that due to the abundance of imported products, they are struggling to sell their local harvest and are forced to sell it below production cost,” the outlet said, adding, “The farmers’ main demand is for the authorities to actively engage in finding solutions and develop mechanisms to support local production.”
The attempt to block the road preceded the arrests and followed the farmers’ demand to meet with Marneuli Mayor Daur Ismailov.
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