In Tbilisi, protesters announce their readiness for long-term protests

The authorities are changing their tactics by detaining activists instead of dispersing protests, but that has only angered protesters. Participants of the rally in front of the Georgian parliament building spoke about their willingness to attend rallies every day to achieve new parliamentary elections.

Earlier, five persons have been arrested in connection with a case on participation in group violence, and three others have been arrested in charges of organizing violence. A court also arrested Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of the “Strong Georgia” Party, for two months on charges of political persecution.

A correspondent of the “Caucasian Knot”, who stays in front of the Georgian parliament building, has reported that the rallies were peaceful for two nights in a row, without the intervention of the police dispersing the demonstrators.

Pensioner Vitaly explains the police’s passivity by the fact that the demonstrators were deprived of the opportunity to express their protest in an active way. “The government has banned the sale of firecrackers and fireworks, gas masks, masks, and helmets in construction stores ... But we must influence in such a way so that the government feels discomfort from our protest,” the pensioner emphasized.

Professor of the Ilia Institute Giorgi Nodiya suggests that, despite the police do not disperse the rallies, the authorities are still very nervous about the mass nature of the protests. Giorgi Nodiya believes the main result was not economic, but political impact on the “Georgian Dream” Party.

“The authorities have found themselves in moral isolation, and they have no allies. And now, in order to achieve tangible results, the most important thing for us is to not get tired of continuing to go to rallies and demanding that our rights be respected,” professor Giorgi Nodiya noted.

Participants of the rallies told the “Caucasian Knot” that they intend to continue going to the rallies for several months.

“I am ready to come here every day for at least a year to achieve the departure of the traitorous government of the ‘Georgian Dream’ Party,” stated student Saba from the Tbilisi State University.