Youth opposition campaigners stage protest outside parliament
By Ana Datiashvili
Wednesday, November 21
While opposition coalition leaders appeared to mount a lethargic and disorganized campaign on Tuesday, the coalition’s youth wing held an attention-grabbing protest in central Tbilisi.
About 50 young activists, many wearing symbolic gas masks, formed ranks outside parliament under a banner reading “we are not afraid.”
Their aim, said youth leader Zaza Gabunia of the Freedom movement, was to show citizens what had happened at that spot on November 7.
The government will try to gloss over the day, he said, when the capital was plunged into a severe crisis as authorities violently dispersed protestors.
He hoped that Tuesday’s demonstrators, many of whom were rallying outside parliament on November 7, would galvanize voters against President Mikheil Saakashvili as he makes a bid for reelection on January 5.
“On January 5, the Georgian nation should make the decision that’s right for our society and country. This peaceful rally will motivate our people’s decision,” Gabunia said.
The oppositional youth groups will keep up their protests throughout the campaign, Gabunia promised.
Onlookers bustled in close to look at photos held by beckoning protestors. Taken on November 7, they showed images of police beating protestors and people fleeing the tear gas on Rustaveli Avenue.
Lasha Chkhartishvili of the Equality Institute, a pro-opposition NGO, said the youth activists are poking holes through the president’s PR efforts.
“This is a mirror in front of parliament which shows Saakashvili’s true face, and not the face that he tries to show to people,” Chkhartishvili said.
The nine-party opposition coalition, meanwhile, had a slow start to their first week of campaigning for joint presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze.
At noon on Tuesday, coalition spokeswoman Nino Sturua said, opposition leaders met with the Georgian Academy, a group of local intelligentsia. Georgian Academy leaders have previously spoken out against the president’s administration, but have not yet endorsed any opposition candidate.
Later that afternoon, coalition representatives visited a hospital to check up on people injured in the November 7 protests.
There were no other public events for the day.
Sturua says a vigorous campaign is underway, but that the coalition’s daily agenda is being constantly revised.
Also on Tuesday, oppositional New Rights MP Mamuka Katsitadze said his party saw no point in continuing dialogue with the government.
While some of the opposition’s demands have been met, he said, the government is continuing “political persecution” and is not willing to allow Imedi TV back on air.
Imedi TV, widely viewed as unfriendly to the government, has had its broadcast license suspended for three months after allegedly airing statements inciting the November 7 protestors to overthrow the government.
The New Rights are one of the few prominent opposition parties not in the coalition, and have previously been more optimistic about dialogue with the government.
About 50 young activists, many wearing symbolic gas masks, formed ranks outside parliament under a banner reading “we are not afraid.”
Their aim, said youth leader Zaza Gabunia of the Freedom movement, was to show citizens what had happened at that spot on November 7.
The government will try to gloss over the day, he said, when the capital was plunged into a severe crisis as authorities violently dispersed protestors.
He hoped that Tuesday’s demonstrators, many of whom were rallying outside parliament on November 7, would galvanize voters against President Mikheil Saakashvili as he makes a bid for reelection on January 5.
“On January 5, the Georgian nation should make the decision that’s right for our society and country. This peaceful rally will motivate our people’s decision,” Gabunia said.
The oppositional youth groups will keep up their protests throughout the campaign, Gabunia promised.
Onlookers bustled in close to look at photos held by beckoning protestors. Taken on November 7, they showed images of police beating protestors and people fleeing the tear gas on Rustaveli Avenue.
Lasha Chkhartishvili of the Equality Institute, a pro-opposition NGO, said the youth activists are poking holes through the president’s PR efforts.
“This is a mirror in front of parliament which shows Saakashvili’s true face, and not the face that he tries to show to people,” Chkhartishvili said.
The nine-party opposition coalition, meanwhile, had a slow start to their first week of campaigning for joint presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze.
At noon on Tuesday, coalition spokeswoman Nino Sturua said, opposition leaders met with the Georgian Academy, a group of local intelligentsia. Georgian Academy leaders have previously spoken out against the president’s administration, but have not yet endorsed any opposition candidate.
Later that afternoon, coalition representatives visited a hospital to check up on people injured in the November 7 protests.
There were no other public events for the day.
Sturua says a vigorous campaign is underway, but that the coalition’s daily agenda is being constantly revised.
Also on Tuesday, oppositional New Rights MP Mamuka Katsitadze said his party saw no point in continuing dialogue with the government.
While some of the opposition’s demands have been met, he said, the government is continuing “political persecution” and is not willing to allow Imedi TV back on air.
Imedi TV, widely viewed as unfriendly to the government, has had its broadcast license suspended for three months after allegedly airing statements inciting the November 7 protestors to overthrow the government.
The New Rights are one of the few prominent opposition parties not in the coalition, and have previously been more optimistic about dialogue with the government.