The October 4th elections came and went. As expected, a large crowd took to the streets in protest—tens of thousands once again gathered in Tbilisi, with many even traveling from distant parts of the country, to express their discontent with the nation’s current direction. Some clashed with law enforcement in front of the presidential palace, but interestingly, while those confrontations unfolded, the majority of protesters remained in front of the parliament on Rustaveli Avenue.
Hans Gutbrod, a German-born academic, policy research consultant, and professor at Tbilisi’s Ilia State University, offered a first reflection on the events: „What to make of the day? Overall a show of strength—but not one of direction. That strength after months of repression remains impressive, but it won’t be enough to get the country back on track, without a clearer, concerted strategy.“
With a record-low voter turn out, no one can seriously claim the election results to be a confirmation of the course set by the self-proclaimed government. And while all five organizers of the demonstrations were later that night arrested „on charges of calling for the violent overthrow of state authorities and attempting to change the constitutional order through violence, as well as organizing, leading, and participating in group violence“ (civil.ge), one can’t help but wonder what would have been possible if there had been a united opposition.
You can also read a write up of how the day unfolded in the 64 project posts.
