Opposition Plans Mass Hunger Strike, ‘Town of Tents’

Opposition leaders said a mass hunger strike would start next week and warned it would “turn Georgia into a town of tents” if their demands were not met.

Speaking to thousands of supporters outside Parliament, MP Levan Gachechiladze of the nine-party opposition coalition said that next week the coalition would “mobilize” volunteers willing to go on hunger strike.

“We need two groups of volunteers,” he told the crowd. “One group to go on hunger strike and another group to protect the hunger strikers.”

He then continued: “We need some time in order to mobilize volunteers throughout Georgia. Next Friday [February 22] in all major towns, and particularly in Tbilisi, a nation-wide hunger strike will begin, which will last until final victory is reached. Next Friday, all of Georgia will turn into a town of tents.”

Following Gachechiladze’s speech, protesters dispersed peacefully.

Earlier Gachechiladze told supporters that the authorities were unwilling to compromise, having failed to meet opposition demands.
 
“The deadline set by us and other opposition parties for the authorities expired today. These are our, your and Georgia’s demands aimed at averting civil confrontation in the country,” he said. “We should have freedom in elections, the judiciary and in broadcasting. Yesterday we received proposals from the authorities, but they in fact amounted to a display of contempt for us. This [the government’s memorandum outlining the proposals] is just an empty piece of paper devoid of results.”

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