Georgia has shown how hard it is to be a Georgian

Georgia celebrated Independence Day divided and in partial international isolation. However, at least until nightfall, the holiday passed without an escalation of violence, which is already a good achievement for the country.

The authorities of the United States and the European Union have congratulated Georgia on Independence Day. However, they did not appeal to the government of the republic, but to its people. Their ambassadors also ignored the official celebrations.

“On behalf of the United States, I congratulate the people of Georgia on this national day. For more than thirty years, friendship and partnership between our countries have been based on the common values of democracy, sovereignty and striving for a better future. On this day, we celebrate the strength and resilience of the Georgian people, as well as our strong ties. The love and dedication of the Georgian people to freedom and independence are inspiring. The United States remains committed to a partnership that aligns with Georgia’s aspirations for a secure and prosperous future,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The EU Ambassador to Georgia Pavel Gerchinsky also addressed the Georgians. “Today I congratulate all citizens of Georgia on Independence Day. You have every reason to be proud that you have preserved the centuries–old legacy of the first democratic republic and have been building an independent state for 34 years,” the diplomat said. He also stressed that all this time the EU has been providing vital assistance to Tbilisi, including supporting democratic reforms in the country and granting Georgians a visa-free regime.

For comparison, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry declared sincere friendship with the Caucasian Republic and expressed hope for continued cooperation on bilateral and international issues of mutual interest. However, the Georgian authorities decided not to focus on the fact that most Western partners ignored them and directly addressed ordinary Georgians. The ruling Georgian Dream pretended that all this was addressed to her too.

In turn, the pro-government media even published appeals from the Baltic countries, which contained direct support for mass protests in the republic. For example, Estonia reported that it “cordially congratulates all freedom-loving Georgians on the Independence Day of Georgia,” and Lithuania admired the steadfastness with which the oppositionists have been fighting for a “European and democratic future” for 180 days.

Anyway, Independence Day celebrations throughout Georgia were held from morning to evening. In all major cities, the authorities have organized exhibitions of weapons, concerts, contests for children and other entertainment events.

“We must clearly understand what it means to be a Georgian, to live on Georgian soil, to speak the Georgian language and to be descendants of one of the most ancient, European, Christian peoples. We must understand how valuable independence is, which requires constant protection and careful treatment,” Georgian President Mikhail Kavelashvili addressed his compatriots.

However, the political crisis, which intensified after the parliamentary elections, which were not recognized by the opposition, made itself felt here. For the first time in history, the authorities refused to hold celebrations on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi – it was given to the opposition. The opponents of the Georgian Dream have promised to hold their own rally there, which they consider festive, and the government – provocative.

“In general, the demonstrators and the opposition are very peaceful,” Veronika, who moved from Moscow to Tbilisi a few years ago, told NG. – It is unlikely that they will have direct clashes. They just hold their own events, with their own slogans. Earlier, however, they blocked Rustaveli Avenue, made it pedestrian, set up tents with food, souvenirs, and some games, but this year there is no such thing. Probably, Mechta will say again that the opposition stole the holiday from the children, as it was at the lighting of the Christmas tree.”

At the same time, according to the interlocutor, she has no desire to take part in government events, and it is dangerous for her to shine in the opposition, since after that she will be banned from entering the country. “Cameras with facial recognition and emotion recognition are everywhere. The authorities are also monitoring social media… if you said something wrong, walked in the wrong place, and so on, you will no longer be allowed into the country. The other day, the border guards even deployed an EU representative, but they don’t stand on ceremony with ordinary people at all,” Veronika said.

Another resident of Tbilisi, Giorgi, told NG that the oppositionists organized their events in such a way as to attract more supporters. For example, they decided to hold several marches, including women and civil servants, to give lectures on Georgia’s struggle for independence, etc. These actions were conceived on the basis of self-organization, so they sometimes did not coordinate well with each other in time, but in general they did not disrupt the atmosphere of celebration.

“As for provocations, I don’t expect them at all. Supporters of the government rest in one place, opponents in another. However, the opposition is going to walk until midnight, so some excesses are still possible. For example, fireworks were banned in Tbilisi at the end of last year due to protests. One launch is a fine of 360 dollars,” said Giorgi.