“Reclaim Your Vote” Rally in Tbilisi, Opposition Sets Up Tents Near Tbilisi State University
On Sunday, November 17, the “Reclaim Your Vote” rally, organized by the local observer mission My Vote and opposition coalitions, culminating in front of the Parliament building took place. In parallel, the Coalition for Change, one of the political forces which passed the 5% election threshold, organized setting up tents near Tbilisi State University in central Tbilisi, announcing that protesters would remain there for 24 hours.
It all started at around 18:00 local time, when several marches took off: one from Vake Park, led by the opposition Coalition for Change, another from the Marjanishvili metro, organized by the Strong Georgia coalition, and a student march from Chavchavadze Avenue. All the marches were headed for the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, which was again blocked.
Among the speakers on Rustaveli Avenue were observers of the October 26 parliamentary elections, who gave first-hand accounts of alleged electoral fraud they witnessed.
As the Coalition for Change march approached Tbilisi State University, about halfway between Vake Park and the Parliament building, its leaders paused on the blocked for traffic Chavchavadze avenue and announced their intention to stay in the area for 24 hours.
The activists soon began setting up tents near the university. The situation remained calm and the police did not intervene as the tents were being erected. As the evening progressed, protesters from Rustaveli Avenue joined the group at the university.
Opposition leaders addressed the crowd from time to time as they plan to stay up all night in peaceful protest.
According to reports, TSU students received a message from the administration informing them that classes would be cancelled for tomorrow.
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Yesterday, November 16, the Central Election Commission announced the final results of the election, giving the victory to the Georgian Dream with almost 54 percent.
According to the law, the first session of Parliament should be convened by President no later than ten days after the announcement of the final results. But Salome Zurabishvili, who does not recognize the official results and called the elections “a Russian special operation”, is unlikely to do so. Meanwhile, PM Irakli Kobakhidze said Parliament would convene anyway, and gave November 25 as the date for the first session. The opposition vows not to enter the Parliament and not to give it legitimacy. Some members of the opposition have expressed their intention to hold the largest rally ever near the Parliament to prevent the entry of the GD MPs.
Also Read:
- 05/11/2024 – Opposition’s Action Plan Seeks to Reclaim Victory Through Resistance and Street Protests
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