Supporters of Georgia's European integration took to Rustaveli Square for the 557th consecutive day.
Participants in a rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi on the 557th day of continuous protests called for the release of political prisoners. That afternoon, a "March of Gratitude" in support of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy took place, with participants expressing gratitude to the protesters and students.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on June 6, the 556th day of continuous protests, before the start of a rally under the slogan "Together against violence and oppression," activist Tamuna Giorgadze and photographer Levan Zazadze were attacked. According to activists, they were attacked by a provocateur.
Participants in ongoing protests carrying national and EU flags marched to the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue for the 557th consecutive evening today, reiterating their unwavering demands for the release of political prisoners and the holding of new, transparent elections. Some activists brought flags of other countries, including the United States and Ukraine.
A "March of Gratitude" in support of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy took place on Rustaveli Avenue this afternoon. Rally participants say this is a celebration of unity, solidarity, and the results achieved through joint efforts.
Protesters on Rustaveli Avenue regularly supported demands for the purchase of modern medications for children with Duchenne syndrome, whose parents have been holding a non-stop, round-the-clock protest outside the government administration building since April 20. According to the organization "Together Fighting Duchenne Dystrophy," there are approximately 100 children with this diagnosis in Georgia. Three of them have died recently, one of the most recent deaths occurred in early March, Tbilisi_life notes. On June 4, the Georgian authorities agreed to prepare for the purchase of medications for the children, after which the parents ended their protest outside the government administration building.
The marchers carried posters: "Thank you, Georgia," "The life of one child is equal to the universe," "When the people did not give up and Duchenne won."
According to the march organizers and the children's parents, the march is dedicated to all those who stood by them during the protest and supported the demand for access to life-saving treatment for children.
The parents expressed special gratitude to the students of Ilia State University, who held a charity marathon and made a significant contribution to mobilizing the necessary financial resources for the children.
The "March of Gratitude" began near the Rustaveli metro station and symbolically ended at the administration building.
One of the parents of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Kakha Tsikarishvili, said that they are not thanking anyone with the march in support of patients with Duchenne syndrome. power.
"Marches in support of those with Duchenne syndrome began with Saturday marches. The majority of participants were almost always people from Rustaveli. These are the people who supported us more than their own brothers and sisters, and who spent the night with us outside the government chancery building. These are the people, a significant number of whom were arrested for standing on the roadway or sidewalk and either received fines of 5,000 lari (1,881 US dollars) or have already paid them," Tsikarishvili wrote on his Facebook page*.
According to him, the people who helped were people whose accounts had been frozen but who still collected their last pennies to help others. Thanks to daily protesters, 2.3 million lari (approximately $865,500) was raised to help children.
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Thousands of people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report, "Key Points on the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia".