A bit late, but some photographs from last month’s protest demonstration organised by Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement in Tbilisi, Georgia. As usual, Democracy & Freedom Watch filed a report.
TBILISI, DFWatch–Former government representatives from the years following the rose revolution in 2003 are holding a rally in central Tbilisi today to protest against Russia’s annexation of two breakaway regions.
National Movement members claim this is a non-partisan rally and that the goal is to send a message to the international community.
But the majority of rally participants are likely to be the members of that party, and organizations that support the party, so many consider the rally to be partisan.
Member of Parliament Davit Bakradze from the National Movement says that while Russia annexes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, all the attention is on Ukraine and no-one is talking about Georgia anymore.
UNM Demonstration, Tbilisi, Georgia © Onnik James Krikorian 2014
Incidentally, facing arrest in Georgia, the former president addressed the demonstration via video link from Ukraine.
Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili appeared on the screen from Kiev, where a similar rally was being held, surrounded by supporters holding Georgian and Ukrainian flags and a picture of Bendukidze. He said excitedly that Saturday’s rally was a ‘parade of honor.’
When the Georgian government remains silent about Russia’s actions, people have spoken up, he said.
“The whole nation must unite before it’s too late and loudly tell Ivanishvili [the former prime minister who created Georgian Dream] that the Georgian people do not share his dream,” Saakashvili said.
“Ivanishvili’s Georgia is alone, our Georgia has a whole army of friends. Ivanishvili’s Georgia is bullied and uncool, our Georgia is, what it always used to be – a proud, honorable, special country.”
Similar rallies were held in London, New York, Vilnius, Kiev and few other cities around the world.
The rally ended with the national anthem, after which people peacefully dissolved and went home, leaving a small group of youth to clean up the street.
National Movement members claim there were more than 30,000 people at Saturday’s rally, which lasted three hours and was attended by people from different regions of the country.
