New Delhi: In a rare and quiet show of strength, journalists in Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi interrupted a government press briefing to protest against the death of a colleague in violence against LGBTQI activists last week.Journalists at the government presser demanded the resignation of Georgian prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, who they called a homophobe and held responsible for triggering the violence that led to journalist Aleksandre Lashkarava.Four television channels in Georgia went off the air on Wednesday in protest and demanding the prime minister’s resignation.A video of the remarkable protest was uploaded on Twitter by the Georgian news outlet Formula NEWS and has been shared multiple times around the world.Journalists interrupt Government press briefing with protestJournalists demand PM Irakli #Garibashvili‘s resignation over the death of journalist Aleksandre #Lashkarava and mass violence of July 5 which they say he incited with the morning statement on that day#TbilisiPogrom pic.twitter.com/SlrYfSI2WH— Formula NEWS | English (@FormulaGe) July 13, 2021In the video, a journalist steps up to the podium and says, “No one has the right to stand at this podium today.” The government spokesperson stops speaking and journalists stand in front of the podium with photographs of the slain journalist and posters.After the short protest, a journalist is seen placing a photograph of cameraman Lashkarava on the speaker’s podium, so “whoever will come up to speak will have to see it.”Hundreds rallied in the capital Tbilisi on Sunday, July 11, after the death of Lashkarava, one of more than 50 journalists who were badly hurt as violent groups ransacked an LBGTQI+ campaign office, prompting activists to call off their pride march.The planned march had prompted criticism from the church and conservatives, while Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said the march risked causing public confrontation.TV channel Pirveli cameraman Alexander Lashkarava is seen after being beaten when the violent group attacked LGBT+ activists and journalists last Monday, in Tbilisi, Georgia in this still image obtained from a video on July 11, 2021. TV PIRVELI/Handout via REUTERSLashkarava, who was severely beaten up in the incident, was found dead at his home by his mother, TV Pirveli, the channel he worked for, said on Sunday. It did not disclose the cause of death.Scuffles broke out in Georgia’s parliament on Monday, July 12, too, as journalists and opposition politicians tried to enter the lower house in protest.Protesters called for the resignation of the prime minister and government whom they accuse of failing to protect journalists as well as allowing street violence by radical groups.Police have detained a new suspects in the violence against journalists, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.Twenty people had now been detained for violence against media, including five held responsible for physical and verbal abuse against TV Pirveli’s camera crew, it said.Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili wrote on Twitter on Sunday that she had visited Lashkarava’s family.“What happened is a tragedy and I send my condolences to the entire media community and to all of Georgia,” she wrote. “It must be investigated and those responsible must be punished.”(With Reuters inputs)