Foreign actors fuel hate speech, political polarisation, Tbilisi Mayor

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has claimed that hate speech, political polarisation and attempts to foment unrest in Georgia were being encouraged from abroad, arguing that substantial funding had been directed towards such activities over many years.

Speaking to reporters on Monday in response to a question about hate speech on social media, Kaladze said offensive language and personal insults were unacceptable.

"Anyone who thinks rationally does not approve of profanity or insulting one another," he said.

Kaladze argued that trends including hate speech, political polarisation, attempts to provoke confrontation, organise revolutions and encourage violent groups had been "imposed from outside".

"If we look at the trend, hate speech, polarisation, attempts to create confrontation, organise revolutions and encourage violent groups have all been imposed from abroad, and hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on this over the years," he said.

The mayor said a dedicated body had been established to address the issue, adding that it would take time before its work produced tangible results.

"Hate speech is not the right form of communication. You may dislike someone or disagree with what they have done, but that does not mean you should physically or verbally insult them," Kaladze said.