Georgian civic activist Giga Makarashvili, 33, is walking to the country’s occupied Abkhazia region to protest the Russian occupation of Georgian historic lands.
Giga Makarashvili started his route from Tbilisi on 14 September to arrive at the Enguri Bridge, near the occupation line with breakaway Abkhazia on 27 September, on the day when the central Georgian government lost control of the region 25 years ago.
I was about to enter school that year. My father was a volunteer fighter in the war. 25 years have passed and nothing has changed. Moreover, the situation in becoming more and more complicated. I, as an angry citizen of Georgia due to the illegality, decided one day to use my physical resources to speak my protest,” Makarashvili told local media.
Makarashvili has already walked more than 250 kilometers and now is in the Samegrelo region of western Georgia.
It is one of the most emotional moments of my life, “ Makarashvili said in a live video as he approached the children.
Thank you so much! Do not be afraid of anything. You will achieve all your goals if you stand together and do your best,” Makarashvili told the children after the emotional meeting.
He had to walk 30 kilometers daily to cover the 368 kilometers to the Enguri bridge.
About a month ago he also walked kilometers from Tbilisi to the Karapila village of eastern Georgia to protest the Russian invasion at the occupation line between Georgia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
Read more about Georgian conflict issues here.