‘Ana’s Garden’ Activists protest demolished park and demand meeting with Tbilisi Mayor
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, February 25
Civil activists, together with locals who have been protesting the construction of a 10-floor building in Varketili area for months now, are demanding a meeting with Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze after activists and locals built a recreational space next to the construction site, which two days later they found to be demolished by the workers of the building construction.
Group of Activists went to the City Hall to officially ask a meeting with Mayor Kaladze but they were not allowed in the building and got into an argument with security and policemen.
The first activist to attempt to write a document asking to meet with Kakha Kaladze, was Nata Peradze, according to whom she was not allowed to fill out the document, as she was ‘kicked out like a cigarette butt’ from City Hall.
“They have vandally excavated park, dug out plants and throw them on the ground with bare roots. If The City Hall won’t stop this, we are going to have a rally again at night and build a bigger park. I am not backing down and this is not only a fight for only Varketili. They are killing us ecologically without our consent,” said Peradze.
Kaladze also commented on the tearing down of Ana’s Park. He stated that nobody has a right to build such parks without permission and he also noted that the park ‘has no problems’, adding nobody can mislead society as City Hall is informing the citizens with everything. Kaladze also stated that City Hall is planning on building a big park there.
“Ana’s Park has no problems and nobody dares to start construction in parks. Accordingly, our attitude towards Ana’s Park is that the only thing we will do is a complete rehabilitation of the park. We will soon launch the project. The existing territory of Ana’s Park will be added with municipality territories, to get as big of territory as possible and get beautiful space for locals to have a chance to relax, entertain and be comfortable,” stated Kaladze.
On February 22, locals who are protesting the construction site next to Ana's Garden built a recreational space together with other activists. They have broken off the concrete on the ground and planted trees and plants and installed playground equipment for kids.
On February 24, the construction company demolished the park and enclosed it.
