Hundreds protest
Standing in entrance of the parliament, whose facade was additionally lit up with projections of festive snowflake pictures, a number of thousand protesters loudly booed and whistled on the tall tree, deriding ruling get together representatives as “slaves”.
A number of dozen protesters held up pictures of alleged victims of police violence over the past two weeks’ protests, the place police have deployed water cannon and tear fuel.
On the scheduled time for the lights to be switched on, the mayor introduced at a press briefing that the occasion could be postponed till “the unconventional opposition” unblocked entry for kids and made it attainable to gentle up the tree.
Georgia is an Orthodox Christian nation that celebrates Christmas on January 7 in keeping with the previous Julian calendar, however adorning bushes can also be a New Yr’s custom, a legacy of the Soviet period.
A cordon of riot police saved supporters of Georgian Dream and pro-EU protesters aside on the avenue close to parliament.
The postponement was “a small victory for us,” mentioned Irina Machavariani, who had come to the protest along with her mom.
This confirmed the authorities “cannot do every little thing simply the best way they need”, mentioned the personal college lecturer.
“They need to respect us and we’re standing right here with a function.”
“Sure it is a small victory,” agreed Lasha Kvlividze, a 22-year-old pupil who mentioned he hopes the protest will make “our ruling get together go away”.
