Thousands of people demonstrated this Sunday against the government’s policy in front of the Georgian Parliament. They accuse the authorities of pro-Russian authoritarian drift.
They are thousands to have answered the call of the main opposition formation, the United National Movement (UNI), founded by the ex-president Georgian imprisoned Mikheil Saakashvili. Behind a large flocked banner of “For a European future”, the demonstrators protested this Sunday against the government’s policy deemed pro-Russian.
” The government is controlled from Moscow and our obligation is to save our homeland from Russian minions said former President Giorgi Margvelashvili. “ We are freedom-loving, we are part of the European family, we reject Russian slavery “.
” Foreign agents »
The demonstrators demand the release of political prisoners and the implementation of reforms wanted by the EU to grant Tbilisi the status of candidate for membership, launched the president of the UNM, Levan Khabeichvili. The government of the ruling Georgian Dream party is accused of imprisoning opponents, silencing independent media, secretly collaborating with the Kremlin and seeking to hijack the country from the EU.
And the demonstrators are not at their first attempt. Last month, the government had already abandoned a bill inspired by the Russian model to classify as “foreign agents” NGOs and media receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad.
(With AFP)