Protests in Georgia
May 23, 2011
Demonstrations continued on Monday in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, for the third consecutive day with anti-government protesters calling for the ouster of Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili.
More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside of the Georgian public television studios, many armed with sticks after brief clashes with police on Sunday.
The protesters accuse President Saakashvili of monopolizing political power in Georgia and failing to tackle widespread poverty. Saakashvili's government also lost a war with Russia in 2008 over the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Former parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze, now a leading opposition figure, said a "revolution" had started in Georgia.
"It will not take long to unseat Saakashvili," Burjanadze said.
However, members of Saakahsvili's governing party played down the significance of the street protests.
"There is no sign of a revolutionary situation in Georgia," senior governing party lawmaker David Darchiashvili said.
"They want to have a Tahrir Square in Georgia, but this has nothing in common with reality," he added, referring to the anti-government protests in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, which toppled long-time President Hosni Mubarak in February.
Right to peaceful protest
The protests began on Saturday when at least 6,000 people gathered in Tbilisi as well as the Black Sea port city of Batumi.
Protests continued on Sunday with the number of participants ebbing to 2,000. According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, a group of 10 protesters smashed the windows of a police car with metal poles.
"Police used teargas and rubber bullets against that aggressive group of protesters," Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said. "It was no intention to disperse the rally."
Saakashvili's government said it supports the right to protest and will allow the demonstrations to continue as long as they remain peaceful. Saakashvili crushed a demonstration in 2007 with riot police.
Members of the National Assembly opposition alliance accused the government of arresting hundreds of activists over the weekend. However, the Interior Ministry says only 12 people have been detained.
Author: Spencer Kimball (AFP, Reuters)
Editor: Andreas Illmer