Anti-government tent camps spread throughout Tbilisi

Oppositions Set Up Prison Cells in a New Place:State Chancellery, April 15, 2009. Photo by Khanim Javadova

TBILISI

, Georgia – In an attempt to make “officials feel uncomfortable,” anti-government protesters have added another protest location to their list: in front of the State Chancellery, few hundred meters away from Parliament, houses of the government’s administration and Prime Minister’s office.

Protesters erected tents in front of the office Wednesday, April 16, where people plan to camp for 24 hours. They join similar tent camps in front of President Mikheil Saakashvili’s residence compound in the city’s Avlabari neighborhood, and one in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster. They continue, also, to block traffic on Rustaveli Avenue in front of Parliament.

Eka Beselia, an opposition leader, said the demonstrations will not be stopped during the Easter holidays.

“On Saturday and Sunday, on the Easter days, we will pray together, stand together and march together on different demonstrating places,” said Beselia.

Starting next Tuesday, opposition members plan to go to the regions and bring people to Tbilisi, she said.

Demonstrators Standing in the Rain at the State Chancellery, April 15. Photo by Khanim Javadova

Protest numbers have dwindled since the beginning of the demonstrations on Thursday, April 9, when about 55,000 people gathered at Parliament. Today, about thousand protesters gathered at the State Chancellery, and couple of hundreds of protesters in front of the various locations.

 

Opposition leaders and activists have filed several reports of attacks, from slashed tires to attacks on demonstrators. David Bakradze, head of the Parliament said all the facts of the attacks will be investigated by the Ministry of the Interior Affairs.

President Saakashvili calls the oppositions for the dialogue, but the opposition leaders say, there will be a dialogue only on one issue, resignation of Saakashvili.

Sunday Protests Small, Even After Saturday Night Vandalism

 

Demonstrators waiting for the oppositional leaders' announcements. Photo by Sopho Ebralidze

Fourth day of demonstrators in front of the Parliament. Photo by Sopho Ebralidze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No doubt affected by Georgia’s Palm Sunday holiday, thousands of anti-government protesters dwindled down to hundreds in front of Parliament on Sunday.

This despite a late-night attack on a protest site Saturday that caused opposition leaders to change their original plan of calling off the Sunday demonstrations. Instead, they asked people to come out in front of the Parliament at 3 p.m. During the attack, opposition leaders charge, about 50 men including a city street cleaning crew destroyed computers and sound equipment in front of Parliament, and threatened some protesters standing nearby.

Opposition leaders claim the men were sent by government forces, and say they have identified at least one city employee as one of the vandals. ‘‘Yesterday, the Government underlined the fact that they stand above the law and have the right to do whatever they want to do,’’ said Eka Beselia, leader of the Movement United Georgia.

Government sources deny that any city or state employees had anything to do with the attack, which they say is demonstrated by surveillance cameras footage,  released by the Ministry of Interior Affairs to the media.

The video has caused controversies and discussions on opposition channels, since it still doesn’t demonstrate clearly how the sound equipment got damaged. The oppositions said the video was edited, and contend they have their own footage from cell phones.

The dispute has gotten personal. When Tbilisi’s mayor, Gigi Ugulava, suggested the demonstrators could clean up the garbage-strewn protest sites themselves, some demonstrators did just that, dumping the garbage they collected on the doorstep of the mayor’s office on Sunday evening.  

Opposition leaders asked citizens of Georgia to gather in front of the Parliament Monday at 3  p.m., April 13. They plan to announce their future acting plans.

 

Vandals Damage Computers, Sound Equipment at opposition site

Opposition leaders claim there was an attack on sound equipment and computers located at a main anti-government protest site on  Rustaveli Avenue at around 11 p.m. Saturday, April 11.

Witnesses reported that around 50 men dressed in casual clothes came to Rustaveli Avenue together with a municipal street-cleaning crew  and damaged equipment and and assaulted several people — though no one was hurt — standing  in front of the parliament, said the opposition leaders, at 12:15 a.m. at a press briefing. 

‘’Computers and sound equipment were taken away and what was left was destroyed. We called the Police office immediately, but they did not appear, explaining that at that moment all the police men were busy,” according to a statement from the press-office of the United Georgia-Democratic Movement, a main opposition group led by former government sympathizer Nino Burjanadze.

Deputy of the Interior affairs minister, Eka Zghuladze, made a special announcement, saying that all the video tapes, taken by the surveillance cameras will be studied.

“There was friction on Rustaveli Avenue, but no police or other municipal or Government personnel were involved in any way in the incident,’’ Zghuladze said. She stated that the policemen did not appear at the incident, because they wanted to avoid more tension.

Eka kherkheulidze, MP, called the incident “a provocation.”

By 2 a.m., people were gathering in front of Parliament and Rustaveli Avenue was blocked again, opposition leaders said.  

Tens of Thousands of Demonstrators Protest In Front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster

Protesters started gathering in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster at 6 p.m., April,10. Tens of thousands of people, accompanied by the part of the oppositional parties’ leaders announced the civil disobedient.

 Demonstrators met the speeches of Levan Gachechiladze, from the United Opposition and Irakli Alasania, leader of the Alliance for Georgia with applauds and ovations. According to the oppositional party members, from April 11^th, demonstrations will cover the whole Georgia.

The decision of civil disobedient was made after the President Saakashvili’s statement, that he does not plan to resign until the end of his presidency, 2013.

Every day, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., the Kostava avenue, where the Georgian Public Broadcaster is located and Ketevan Tsamebuli avenue, the President’s administration will be blocked. At 9 p.m., the demonstrations will continue in front of the Georgian Parliamen during the nights.

‘‘Georgia will go on its development in the democratic way. Georgia will be united’’. Irakli Alasania, leader of the opposition said.

Protestors marching on Kostava avenue, 7 p.m., April 10. Photo by Sopho Ebralidze

Demonstrators gathered in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, 7 p.m., April 10. Photo by Sopho Ebralidze

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protestors Enter Day Two With Quiet

The Opposition parties, raised an ultimatum to President Mikheil Saakashvili to resign in 24 hours. The ultimatum time expires on 3 p.m. today. If Saakashvili will not resign, permanent demonstrations will start in all of Georgia, the opposition leaders say.

Levan Gachechiladze, leader of the United Opposition, addressed the demonstrators on Thursday evening with the request to stay up for the whole night on April 9th in front of the Parliament.

Couple of hundred protestors, mainly men, did so. The next morning, people started gathering in front of the Parliament again. Rustaveli Avenue, starting from t Liberty square up to the Tbilisi Marriot, is blocked. No public transport and cars are allowed to move there.

‘ The blocked border may extend. It depends on how many people will come here at 3 p.m. ‘ said George Kebadze, one of the activists standing at the blockade.

The mood of the people, standing in small groups in front of the Parliament remains the same. They still demand the resignation of president Saakashvili.

“ Saakashvili has to resign. There is no other way. I am sure, it will happen, if a lot people will come out in the streets,” said Nana Abralava, 44, standing in front of the parliament.

Protestors are waiting for Saakashvili’s decision and the opposition parties’ plans that are going to be announced today, at 4 p.m.