On December 16, 2011, employees of the television company Maestro gathered near a police building in Tbilisi holding signs reading “SOS” and staged a protest. They demanded that police remove Erosi Kitsmarishvili, the founder of the channel’s management company, from the Maestro building and allow the lawful director, Ilia Kikabidze, to enter.

The conflict between the channel’s owners and Kitsmarishvili had started a month earlier. Kitsmarishvili, founder of the management company, had overseen Maestro since 2009. Mamuka Glonti owned 15% of the station and served as producer, while Ilia (Bacho) Kikabidze was the general director.

Tensions escalated when, on the morning of November 30, 2011, Kitsmarishvili arrived at Maestro’s building on Nutsubidze Street with about ten people, climbed over the fence, entered the premises, and declared that he had dismissed Kikabidze from his position.

Glonti locked himself and several employees inside the newsroom, while Kitsmarishvili and his group occupied the rest of the building. Police soon arrived and blocked the entrance, but several staff members and founders managed to enter and briefly broadcast live.

Glonti repeatedly accused Kitsmarishvili of acting with the support of the ruling United National Movement and attempting to seize control of the channel. Kitsmarishvili denied the allegations, claiming instead that Glonti wanted to remove him after billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili announced his entry into politics and expressed interest in temporarily purchasing Maestro under favorable terms.

Following the dispute, Maestro continued limited broadcasting from the Radio Maestro studio.

At the time, Erosi Kitsmarishvili was also a leader of the political movement Georgian Party.