TBILISI, May 24 – The government’s and opposition’s plans for Independence Day show how divided the country is politically.
The government is preparing official celebrations for May 26, the day Georgia marks the declaration of its first republic in 1918. Opposition groups and civic activists are preparing a protest march the same evening, saying the country’s independence and European future are again under threat.
The planned protest is expected to start at 7pm on Tuesday near the first building of Tbilisi State University, then move toward the city center. Organizers say the rally will call for the release of people they describe as political prisoners, for free and fair elections, and for Georgia’s return to the European path.
The opposition alliance is still working out the final details. According to Rezonansi, organizers are preparing a list of speakers, “surprises,” and a roadmap for how they say the protest movement can reach its goals. One member of the Coalition for Change, Giorgi Butikashvili, said the event would include political speeches and concrete messages for the public.
However, Tbilisi City Hall has refused to allow protest organizers to place temporary structures, including a stage, near parliament or on roadways along the planned route. The city says traffic routes in Tbilisi have already been changed because of official Independence Day events, and that extra structures would create further transport problems. City Hall said it may review the issue again if organizers ask for another location.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also said the application submitted by protest initiators did not meet legal requirements. According to the ministry, the notice failed to include the goal of the assembly, the end time, the expected number of participants, and the form of emergency medical support. It also said the legal deadline for filing the notice had not been met.
Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the opposition alliance, wrote that both City Hall and the Interior Ministry had effectively refused the protest plans. He accused the authorities of banning protest in practice and said the rally would still go ahead under the constitution.
On the government side, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili dismissed the opposition’s May 26 plans. Asked whether arrests should be expected, he said there would be no reason to detain peaceful people. But he also described the organizers as angry and lost people who were trying to unload their emotions on Rustaveli Avenue.
The opposition is not united in its message. One internal argument concerns whether banners of jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili should be displayed at the rally. Rezonansi reports that the debate is taking place mostly in closed Facebook groups. Some Saakashvili supporters object to attempts to keep his banners away, while some opposition figures fear that focusing on Saakashvili could drive other protesters away.
Saakashvili himself has called for the May 26 rally not to remain a one-off event. He said people should unite not around party slogans, but around Georgia’s five-cross national flag, and that the protest should grow into a broader and more consistent front.
The civic platform One People, One Georgia is also calling on people to gather on May 26. In a joint statement, the platform said Georgia’s independence must still be defended and urged society to stand together against division, fear and hatred. The platform said its members had spoken with people in Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Gori, Tsnori and Tbilisi ahead of the rally.
The platform also plans symbolic events with around 50 wine cellars. It says participants will mark Independence Day with a common toast, write letters to jailed activists, and raise support for detained “comrades-in-arms” through the sale of wine provided by the cellars.
Analysts Ramaz Sakvarelidze told Rezonansi that the rally is more likely to be a one-time event. He argued that people need to know clearly why they are coming and what will happen afterward, and that the opposition has struggled with this question for years. He also said Saakashvili banners could narrow the rally to Saakashvili supporters.
Nika Chitadze, a professor and analyst, said a large continued protest is possible, but only if people are given real motivation. He said the opposition should focus not only on democracy and Europe, but also on jobs, wages, pensions, business, agriculture and daily economic problems.
