Thousands of people marched through Tbilisi on Georgia's Independence Day.

A mass march organized by the Opposition Alliance in Tbilisi on Georgia's Independence Day was held under the slogan "For Victory, Together, Until the End!" Supporters of Georgia's European integration have been protesting in the capital for 545 consecutive days.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the march of supporters of Georgia's European integration on May 23, the 542nd day of daily protests, was dedicated to the country's approaching Independence Day. Participants demanded the release of political prisoners and supported the parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who are seeking the import of modern medications for the treatment of the disease.

Residents of Georgia celebrated Independence Day today, May 26 – on this day, 108 years ago, the Act of Independence of the country was adopted. In Tbilisi, a rally organized by the Soviet Past Research Laboratory (SovLab) took place for the eleventh time near the Constituent Assembly building (now the Youth Palace), where the document was first proclaimed in 1918.

“For eleven years in a row, citizens have gathered and, at the same time, annually read the Act of Independence,” notes Tbilisi_life.

Participants in the daily protests outside parliament had prepared in advance for today’s large march. The official celebration of Georgia’s Independence Day in Freedom Square “turned into a party event” – according to activist Lekso Samkharadze, police prevented protesters from unfurling the flags of Georgia and its allies in the square, where events were taking place featuring high-ranking Georgian Dream officials.

"We wanted to unfurl our flags so that our army, our allies, and Ukraine itself, which is in a state of war, would see our support (...) We were stopped in arches and underpasses, insulted, and told, 'You are not Georgians,' 'You are traitors,' behaved aggressively, pushed, and threatened with detention," he wrote on his Facebook page*.

Activists were also prevented from unfurling a banner in Freedom Square reading "Medicine for Children"—it was brought by parents of children with Duchenne syndrome, who are demanding that patients with muscular dystrophy receive modern medication.

Tbilisi City Hall and the Ministry of Internal Affairs prevented organizers of the opposition march on Independence Day from setting up a stage and equipment for the rally on Rustaveli Avenue. Even before the march began, police were mobilized on the parliament grounds and throughout the government quarter, the news agency "Georgia News" reports.

Nevertheless, the rally proceeded along a pre-planned route – from the first building of Tbilisi State University on Chavchavadze Avenue to the parliament building. Among the marchers was Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili.

The march set off for the Georgian parliament to the sounds of the national anthem, accompanied by a vehicle with loudspeakers. The main slogan of the rally was "For victory, together, to the end!" They also chanted "Strength in unity!" Before the activists arrived on Rustaveli Avenue, special forces officers bolted and padlocked the gates of the Georgian parliament, the Formula TV channel reported.

The march's organizers called on citizens to come out to demonstrate to the ruling elite how many people disagree with their policies: repressive laws against the media and civil society, a rollback of democracy, and violence against protesters. Tens of thousands of people eventually participated in the march through central Tbilisi, JAMnews reports.