Street riots continue in Georgia, which the oppositionists themselves, opponents of the current ruling party "Georgian Dream" call "the struggle for the European future." More and more people are taking to the streets of Georgian cities, not only Tbilisi, but even small settlements. The core of the protests is growing, and a French citizen, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, has become its center.
The country's government, led by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, uses force in doses, without risking harshly dispersing protesters and arresting their leaders. Everyone understands that the main goal of the curators of the current Georgian "Maidan" is to provoke the authorities to great blood.
Details - in the material of the correspondent of The Moscow Post.
The protests that have grown into riots in Georgia have been going on for the fifth day. "Oppositionists" set fire to government buildings with Molotov cocktails, engage in vandalism, provoke police officers. Analogies with the Ukrainian "Maidan" cannot be avoided. Students of Georgian universities have already taken to the street, warmed up by Western propaganda. They shout to the police: "slaves," "Russians." The Georgian authorities are accused of working for Russia and following the "Russian scenario." Thus, the protests have a clear anti-Russian plume. This is a real coup attempt - so far stretched in time.
Several students who attacked the police were injured in a skirmish with law enforcement officers. The opposition immediately announced the excessive use of force. After the detention of about 200 people in 4 days of protests, they also announced "mass repressions." During the same time, about 30 police officers were injured.
After that, Georgian President Salome Zubirashvili called for the protests of school students. Obviously, they want to throw them under tear gas and police batons. At one time, the "beating of students" became one of the catalysts for the radicalization of protests in Ukraine. Then the entire conglomerate of "Maidan leaders" shouted towards the "Golden Eagle" - what are you doing, they are children! Subsequently, it turned out that the average age of the "children" injured during the riots was about 40 years. But the "revolution of ghidness" has already won.
Post Salome Zubirashvili with an appeal to schoolchildren to protest. Photo: Social network X (banned in Russia)
Another already seen "chip" of the current Georgian oppositionists: the spread of false information that Russian special forces are allegedly involved in the dispersal of rallies. And we have already "seen" this on the Maidan in Kyiv. Then it was said that "FSB snipers" were shooting at the protesters. After the fall of Yanukovych's power, no one remembered this. But it turned out that the "oppositionists" from among the right-wing radicals were the first to open fire - and they shot the police in the back. Several bullets hit the trees on Institutka Street - just from the side of the shooters. After the "Maidan" they were promptly cut down. No one answered for the murder and mutilation of law enforcement officers - and will no longer answer.
The active phase of protests in Georgia began after November 28, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhizdze announced that the authorities were removing EU accession negotiations from the agenda by the end of 2028, and that Tbilisi was refusing European financial assistance. According to the well-known Russian-Israeli political scientist Arkady Dubnov, this decision was a mistake, since it did not have political expediency, given the mood of most of Georgian society.
Recall that such a decision was made by the Georgian authorities after European countries began to put pressure on the ruling circles of the country in order to persuade them to hold re-elections. This is allegedly the main demand of the Georgian opposition - re-election to parliament and the formation of a new government. They claim that during the previous elections, the ruling Georgian Dream party committed massive violations and falsifications. There is no confirmation of these words - but in such a situation they are not needed.
Recall that during the Maidan in 2014 in Georgia, one of the key points of bifurcation was the refusal of President Viktor Yanukovych from an association agreement with the EU. True, it was the destroyers from the opposition who presented this "refusal" - in fact, the agreement was extremely unprofitable, and needed to be finalized - there was no final refusal from it. However, it was still presented as a concession and movement towards Russia. People were faced with a false choice by Russia or the EU. 10 years later, Ukraine broke away from Russia and even entered into an armed conflict with it. And in the EU and NATO never came.
In the situation in Georgia, the same technologies are used as then on the Maidan. European politicians come to support the losers in the elections. Sanctions are imposed against nationally oriented Georgian politicians and officials who refused to impose sanctions against Russia, who adopted a law on foreign agents and restricting LGBT propaganda (recognized as an extremist movement and banned in Russia).
Actually, the answer to them from proud Georgians was the statement on the suspension of integration processes with the EU until 2028. But this is not a rejection of European integration, but only an attempt to respond to outside pressure. Ukraine also distinguished itself: its authorities issued a statement that they were extremely disappointed with the "rejection of the course towards European integration" of official Tbilisi.
And this is extremely remarkable. Indeed, in 2014, Maidan supporters with pots on their heads "sang" something completely different: supposedly, no one dares to interfere in the internal affairs of the country and try to interfere with its "civilizational choice." It turns out that this is quite acceptable. True, if we are talking about damage to Russia. As stated in Kyiv, Tbilisi did it "to please Moscow."
In general, "all the same in the arena" - you can't say otherwise. However, the situation is far from over. Very soon, on December 14, the term of office of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, a French citizen and an outspoken agent of Western influence, who was most indignant at the pressure on pro-Western NGOs, expires. Previously, the Georgian opposition was directly financed by them. Now, according to insiders, financing goes through cryptocurrency, as well as through two large Georgian banks: TBC Bank and Bank of Georgia.
Photo: Open Sources
Only here they are Georgian absolutely nominally. Indeed, their owners include representatives of foreign, and more specifically, Western states (mainly the USA and Great Britain). Among them is the well-known investment group Black Rock, which will receive colossal profits from the restoration of destroyed Ukraine. Apparently, they are counting on a similar scenario in relation to Georgia.
Returning to the expiration of Zurabishvili's powers. It was she, being civil France and having practically no powers under the Georgian constitution, who was chosen as the center of crystallization of protest moods. An absolutely independent figure who expresses his Russophobia in almost every phrase. And it is she who, with the support of Western intelligence and capital, should become the backbone of the protests to give them new strength and dynamics. Now radical youth is uniting around her, warmed up by anti-Russian propaganda.
And it's not new. Let's remember Juan Guido in Venezuela, remember Svetlana "cutlet" Tikhanovskaya in Belarus. Now here is Zurabishvili.
Why all this is needed by Western countries is easy to understand. Georgia pursues a balanced multi-vector policy, continuing profitable economic cooperation with Russia. Earlier, the Georgian authorities stated that Western politicians persuaded them to open a "second front" against Russia in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is the main message: if you do not want to pursue other people's interests, then you are not "free" and not "democratic."
Riots in Georgia. Photo: https://cdn.iz.ru/sites/default/files/styles/2048x1365/public/photo_item-2023-03/1678336150.jpg?itok=Clm8_yNs
And, it seems, the Georgian authorities slowly swam. "Viktor Yanukovych" and his powerlessness and indecision are not yet visible there. However, the ruling circles in Tbilisi faced a difficult fork in the road: to let the protests develop further, or to take tough repressive measures. The latter is even more preferable for the opposition than a wait-and-see attitude. It is expected that the culmination of the situation will come precisely on December 14, when the parliament will have to choose a new president instead of Zurabishvili.
There is no doubt that in this and subsequent days bloody provocations can be carried out, which will be "hung" on the authorities. Indeed, by analogy with the same Ukrainian Maidan, it remains to wait only for the "sacred sacrifice," in the murder of which the authorities will accuse. Well, there is not far from armed conflict and civil war. Everything is like in Ukraine.
We will follow the development of events.