Opposition changes date for its rally in Tbilisi to avoid coinciding with 2007 UNM rally dispersal
Opposition parties will hold a rally in Tbilisi on November 6 instead of November 7. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party has changed the date for a large rally in central Tbilisi this week to protest the results of the recent municipal elections.
The rally will be held on November 6 instead of the initially stated November 7, given that on the same date in 2007, a series of anti UNM-government protests took place across Georgia and ended with protesters being dispersed by police with tear gas and water cannon.
A total of 508 people were hospitalized as a result of riot police dispersing thousands of protesters in various parts of the capital of Tbilisi.
The opposition will also demand the release of arrested former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The same day, riot police raided Tbilisi-based Imedi TV while the news program was live on air.
Police officers in masks and carrying assault rifles were seen sealing off the office.
The UNM and other parties claim that the municipal election results were fabricated by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
They have announced rallies in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi starting tomorrow, in addition to a large demonstration in Tbilisi on Saturday.
Georgian opposition leaders have gathered with their supporters in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi to protest the results of the October 30 run-off municipal elections. The opposition, claiming that the election results were fabricated, announced rallies in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, and Zugdidi, in addition to the massive demonstration in Tbilisi scheduled for November 7.
A number of ruling party members have reacted to the results of the municipal election run-offs earlier today which have ended with a victory for the Georgian Dream party mayoral candidates in 19 of 20 municipalities.
The official results of the Central Election Commission (CEC) for the 2021 municipal election run-offs in Georgia show that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party mayoral candidates have won in 19 municipalities, while the opposition United National Movement (UNM) contender has won in just one. Incumbent Tbilisi mayor and candidate Kakha Kaladze from the GD took 55.6% of the votes over the UNM’s Nika Melia, with 100% of the votes counted.
November 7 is one of the hardest days of Georgia’s recent history, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says.
One of the leaders and a co-founder of the Lelo opposition party, Mamuka Khazaradze, says that he will demand the suspension of his MP status to ‘continue the fight on the street’ for the annulment of the recent municipal election results.
Former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has from prison urged opposition MPs to leave their mandates in protest, stating that the Georgian Dream (GD) government fabricated the results of recent municipal elections.
The opposition has won the majority in city assemblies in seven out of 64 municipalities – Batumi, Zugdidi, Martvili, Chkhorotsku, Tsalenjikha, Rustavi and Senaki. GD head Irakli Kobakhidze stated that ‘the majority will be formed on the basis of negotiations with the members of the city councils,’ in municipalities where GD lost the majority, noting that ‘work on the issue has already started successfully.’