OREANDA-NEWS. The protests in Tbilisi against Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner and his entourage were instigated by the opposition party «United National Movement» and it's leader former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. This was announced by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

He called the party and the ex-president himself a destructive force, whose goal is to sabotage, cause maximum damage to Georgia and undermine the country's image. According to Garibashvili, the radicals deliberately acted against the background of the partial opening of the state to tourists, informs Russian media «Interfax».

According to the speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin, the Tbilisi events once again demonstrate the depth of the crisis in which the country is located. According to him, the internal politics of Georgia is largely determined by radicalism.

«Of course, it destroys Georgia. And on the eve of the summer tourist season, it once again shows how unsafe it is for the citizens of our country to be there», Volodin wrote in his Telegram channel.

Pozner left the territory of Tbilisi after protests in the Georgian capital. The employees of the local «First Channel» told about this on April 1. Pozner flew to Tbilisi to celebrate his birthday. He planned to fly to Russia on April 3. However, near the hotel where the journalist settled, protesters gathered, demanding to expel him from the country. One of the reasons is that Posner allegedly does not recognize the territorial integrity of Georgia, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia.