Georgian opposition demands restoration of Memorial of Glory

On Monday, December 21, leaders and activists of oppositional parties and movements held a protest action in Kutaisi against demolition last Saturday, on December 19, of the Memorial of Glory. When the monument was blown up, Eka Dzhincharadze and her eight-year-old daughter Nino were killed by concrete splinters.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 21 Georgian oppositionists gathered near the ruins of the memorial, namely, the activists of the "Alliance for Georgia" Zurab Abashidze and former Ombudsman Sozar Subari, leader of a party "Way of Georgia", former Minister of Foreign Affairs Salome Zurabishvili, figures of the "National Forum", Conservative Party, Movement "Tetrebi" (Whites), public organizations "Protect Life" and "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights". Also, film directors Gogi Kavtaradze and Dima Dzhayani, and Professor Vakhushti Partsvaniya appeared at the memorial ruins.

Kakha Kukava, secretary general of the Conservative Party believes that not only the workers of the "Sakpetkmretsvi" company, but - first of all - the authorities of the country are to be blamed of what happened. "The demolition is beyond any logic, alas, their actions have ever been unpredictable and stupid," the "Gzt.ru" quotes Mr Kukava as saying.

In Kutaisi, the organizers of the protest action against demolition of the Memorial of Military Glory said that they would insist on restoration. The Radio Liberty reports, referring to different sources, that the action was attended from 500 to 2000 thousand persons.

At the same time with the action in Kutaisi, oppositionists protested at the gate of the Avlabar residence of the President in Tbilisi.