Georgia’s democratic crisis deepens as thousands rally against “Russian puppet”

Tbilisi, Georgia — For just over two weeks, Giorgi, a young activist, and his friends have been meeting in front of Parliament every evening. “We’re trying to organize ourselves. We’re demonstrating better today than we did two weeks ago,” he confides.

On this day of the presidential election, the grassroots movement that wants to counter Russian influence in the country and integrate with the European Union tried to make its demands heard by gathering in front of Parliament. “They [the Georgian Dream] simply want to establish a dictatorship in Georgia,” he states.

Rustaveli Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare running alongside Parliament, is packed with people. After a day of nationwide protests against the election of Georgia’s new pro-Russian president, seen as a puppet of the Bidzina Ivanishvili oligarchy and the ruling regime, the crowd of demonstrators is chanting: “This president is not legitimate.”

“Tonight will be very violent,” one activist says. Several vehicles equipped with a water cannon, specially designed for riot control, are positioned down Rustaveli Avenue.

The police presence is simply massive. Thousands of men in uniform, all wearing menacing black balaclavas, are blocking access along the avenue.

Demonstrators from self-defense groups organized by the popular movement are working to keep protesters away from the police lines.

“The police always strike first. Once they start, we can’t stop them,” explains one of them. “If we want the demonstration to go smoothly, without deaths, we have to avoid getting too close,” he notes in the direction of the crowd.

The Georgian Dream announced that if the demonstrators were violent, there would be “two or three sacrifices” — in their words — if the protests gained momentum.

“The police are the armed arm of the oligarchy in Georgia,” cut in another protester behind him. But the police aren’t the only threat to peaceful protesters. One protester warns passers-by: two groups of titushky, men paid by the regime, are crowding the streets adjacent to the main artery. “These men are very dangerous; some have combat experience,” he warns. 

The government "crackdown squads" aka "titushky" deployed against #GeorgiaProtests participants target opposition media and politicians

Here they are seen attacking opposition politician Koba Khahadzi outside the office of @coalitionGEo (Coalition for Change)

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