Relatives of prisoners of conscience commemorate the victims of "Bloody Sunday" in Georgia.
On the 497th day of continuous protests outside the Georgian parliament, mothers and fathers of prisoners of conscience, holding photographs of their children, will spend the entire night at the memorial to the heroes who died on April 9, 1989.
As "Caucasian Knot" reported, on the 496th day of continuous protests outside the Georgian parliament, a solidarity rally with deported Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov continued. One activist repeated the symbolic burning of portraits of dictators that Sadygov periodically staged on Rustaveli Avenue.
On April 9, 1989, a peaceful opposition rally was dispersed outside the Government House of the Georgian SSR in Tbilisi. Units of the Interior Troops and the Soviet Army took part in the operation, which involved the use of rubber truncheons, entrenching shovels, and gas. As a result of the military's actions and the resulting stampede, 19 people were killed and several hundred were injured. The tragic events of April 9, 1989, became known as "Bloody Sunday" and "the night of the sappers' shovels," according to the "Caucasian Knot" reference material "Dispersal of the Rally in Tbilisi on April 9, 1989."
For the second year in a row, the parents of prisoners of conscience will hold an all-night rally at the April 9 memorial on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, the Pirveli TV channel reported today.
37 years ago, on April 9, Saba Skhvitaridze's mother stood on Rustaveli Avenue, fighting for the country's independence, and now she stands in the street, defending this newfound independence. Marina Terishvili, the mother of Mamuka and Giorgi Terishvili, will also spend the entire night at the memorial. One of her sons participated in the fight for freedom on February 2, 1992, and the other son has been in prison for almost two years for defending the European future.
Parents of those fighting for a European future said Ivanishvili's team had betrayed the idea of April 9. Family members of the prisoners held photographs of their children. Participants also laid flowers at the memorial to the victims of April 9 and lit candles in front of photographs of those killed in the tragic events of April 9, 1989.
"Last year I held Nika's poster, this year I'm holding Gela Khasai's poster. I want to stand up for his mother. The protest 37 years ago and the current protest have a lot in common. Back then, we demanded the same thing we demand now. Back then, the Russian army dispersed us, now it's the Georgian police. But there was no fear then, and there isn't now," said Marina Aptsiauri, mother of activist Nika Katsia.
According to Zurab Girchi Japaridze, one of the leaders of the Coalition "For Change," it will be interesting to see the faces of Georgian Dream members if they come to the memorial on April 9.
"April 9 is an important date in history, and how people were united back then, when the whole country "We faced a common challenge, for the sake of a common idea, and now such national consolidation is necessary," the politician said.
"The fight for freedom continues! We won then, we will win now! April 9, 1989 is the day that defined the moral axis of our country - dignity and freedom! We achieved independence at the cost of blood, and we will not give up even today! The fight for freedom continues!" - declared the organizers of the action.
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces carried out violent dispersals of the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. During the protests, thousands of people were subjected to administrative prosecution. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia".