Tbilisi demonstrators: "Yanukovych! Stop shooting Ukrainians!"

The land in front of the old Parliament building in Tbilisi has been a ground for numerous and varied protest rallies, and even for revolution. But yesterday evening more than a hundred people gathered here to support Ukrainians.

‘That’s more than solidarity…’ said one of the activists.

For more than three hours, a sea of blue and yellow hovered over Rustaveli Avenue as hundreds of people wearing colours of the Ukraine flag stood defiantly in support of Ukraine. Banners condemning the violence were waved with vigour, including one which said: ‘Stop Dictatorship’.

The owner of another banner was Ukrainian man Pavel, who had relocated to Georgia several years ago. He came at Rustaveli Avenue to express his support to Ukraine, but more importantly to defend his country. And he did this with a banner boasting the slogan: ‘Yanukovych! Stop shooting Ukrainians!’

"This is a tragedy for us, for every Ukrainian,” Pavel told Agenda.ge.

"In this central European country the Government decided to shoot its citizens. It’s a real nightmare. No one expected it, even from Yanukovych,” Pavel said in disbelief.

"People are dead, those people who were struggling for their future. It’s obvious; the Government has crossed the Rubicon.”

Nevertheless, Pavel hopes that the bloodshed will soon stop in Kiev.

Times of violent bloodshed are very familiar to Georgian people. Exactly 25 years ago, on April 9, the Soviet Army perpetrated a massacre on Rustaveli Avenue when several thousand anti-Soviet activists were demanding independence.

At the time, 21 people died in the hands of Russian soldiers and hundreds more were injured or poisoned by gas.

Luka, 22, one of the activists at last night’s Ukraine solidarity demonstration, was reminded of the April 9 tragedy and compared it with ongoing protest rallies in Kiev.

"Soviet Army and riot police are not able to act any differently,” he said.

"It’s symbolic that we support our Ukrainian brothers here, on Rustaveli Avenue, because this place is a symbol of the political changes in our country. Georgians know what it means to be a target of the Kremlin. I want to encourage Ukrainians and tell them: Don’t retreat! Georgia is by your side!”

An activist named Anna, 29, who had Ukrainian flag painted on her right cheek, said that Ukraine was her second motherland, as her grandmother was from Kharkov, in the north-east of Ukraine. Standing defiantly against political leaders brought back emotional memories for her, as she had once been a victim of violent riot police. She was beaten on November 7, 2007, when riot police cleared a group of peaceful activists with rubber bullets and batons in Tbilisi.

"I’m standing here full of pain because of my lovely Ukrainians,” she said.

"I know how terrible it is when armed policemen persecute and beat people just for one reason – they don’t want to live in slavery. It was the same on November 7 in Tbilisi.”

"It is a struggle between slavery and independence, between evil and kindness,” were the words of poet Irakli Kakabadze used to describe the ongoing process in Kiev.

"It is not important whether these clashes in Kiev connected with Georgia or not. I support Ukrainian people and that’s why I came here today,” he said.

Last night standing shoulder to shoulder with other protestors was the second time writer and translator Salome Benidze had taken part in a rally. The first time was in August of 2008. Then, she was a student at the Alexander Institute of Thessaloniki and the Georgian students expressed their solidarity to their country during the August War when Russia invaded Georgia.

Now, Salome went to Rustaveli Avenue to support Ukrainians. The entire time she stood on the pavement outside the Parliament building she was thinking about her friends who live in Kiev.

"I am thinking about my Ukrainian friends every minute,” She said.

"Sure, I could have stayed at home because I don’t like rallies but tonight I could not. Sometimes I wonder what if the same happened in Georgia?! It’s very familiar for us; I mean the April 9 tragedy of 1989. So this tense situation in Ukraine is connected with Georgia also, in my mind.”

Psychologist David Amirejibi believed Georgia’s fate was also being decided in Ukraine. He declared: "this is a battle against the modernized Soviet Union and now Ukrainians are fighting for Georgians also, and for every post-Soviet state.”

"The fight for our independence is going to begin now,” David Amirejibi said.

"Is it possible for Putin to create a new Empire or will it be defeated by democracy? The fate of every post-Soviet state is being decided in Kiev and these processes are closely related with Georgia. Our country has been occupied by Russia since 1992, that’s why every step is important for us.”

David hoped the massacre in Kiev will end with positive consequences.

"Ukrainians are brave nation,” he added.

"Europe has already entered into Ukraine and fortunately the Ukrainian business is more depended on Europe than on Russia,” he said.

The protest was attended by people of all ages, from all walks of life.

Among the waving flags on Rustaveli Avenue appeared a little girl, barely eight years old, alongside her mother. Holding a tiny flag in her hand, her low, sweet voice screamed in Georgian: "Freedom to Ukraine”.

  Banners condemning the violence were waved with vigour, including one which said: ‘Stop Dictatorship’.

  Georgian girls support Ukrainian people. 

  This couple came at supporting rally with paper flag. 

  For more than three hours, a sea of blue and yellow hovered over Rustaveli Avenue as hundreds of people wearing colours of the Ukraine flag stood defiantly in support of Ukraine. 

  Georgian Boy with blue and yellow balloons supports Ukraine.

  Ukrainian man came at Rustaveli Avenue to support his homeland.

Photos by Nino Alavidze