Military Parade Planned to Mark Independence Day

A military parade will be held outside the Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue on May 26 to mark Georgia’s Independence Day, the authorities announced on May 19.

Tradition of marking the Independence Day with military parade was restored in 2004 after about eight-year pause. Since then parades were held on each Independence Day on May 26, but last year was an exception.

Last year the authorities dropped the plans to hold the parade amid opposition’s protest rallies, which were ongoing at the time. On the other hand, situation in the army itself could also be the reason of refusal to hold the parade. When a commander of the tank battalion, based in Mukhrovani, outside Tbilisi, announced disobedience on May 5, 2009, he cited his protest against the parade as a reason behind the disobedience, saying such event was inappropriate after the August war.

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