Georgia’s Youth Stand Up for Democracy
Under the shadow of the ancient Narikala Fortress, a symbol of resilience perched above Tbilisi, a new army of dissent is forming.
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Tens of thousands of young Georgians took to the streets on May 14 as parliament brushed aside the huge national protests against the hated “Russian law”, and passed it onto the president.
Their voices have risen in a tumultuous chorus against a tide of authoritarianism unleashed by legislation that seems designed to turn the country away from the European Union (EU.)
For a month, the country has witnessed scenes reminiscent of its earlier revolutions, with citizens converging in the capital and other cities in waves of protests.
In the chill of early spring, the political atmosphere in Tbilisi is heavy with tension. The Russian-style draft law on so-called foreign agents has ignited a fierce national movement across Georgia, echoed in cities around the world where expatriates are joining the protests.
The law, seen as stifling to civil society and independent media, threatens Georgia’s route to EU membership and has rallied people under the cry, “Yes to Europe, No to Russian Law.”
On May 11, Guram Khutsishvili climbed the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the founder of Tbilisi, to raise the Georgian flag. Khutsishvili’s father, a protester against Soviet rule, died fighting in the war against Russia in Abkhazia in 1992-1993. The young man’s act of defiance resonated deeply, symbolizing a fight that spans generations.
The streets, especially along Rustaveli Avenue, near the Georgian parliament, have become arenas of resistance. The profile of the protests is young, filled with students committed to protecting Georgia’s European dream. Polls show that 85% or more of Georgians want EU membership.
The protests have no single leader or organizer and remain strictly non-partisan. While opposition leaders participate, they are not the faces or leaders of the demonstrations.
As the protesters stand firm, the government’s response has grown more severe. Police brutality has become commonplace, yet only demonstrators have been arrested and no officers have faced charges.
The tactics have extended beyond confrontation at the protests and have included attacks by unidentified assailants who physically target activists, journalists, and politicians, often ambushing them near their homes at night.
The harassment of hundreds of individuals also expanded to include abusive phone calls, initially originating from foreign numbers and later from local ones, menacingly targeting activists (including one of the authors of this article), their families, and even children.
The calls typically contain similar content, with the intent to frighten, often mentioning personal details such as addresses and family members’ names alongside threats and insults.
Ominous posters appeared at the homes and offices of representatives of non-governmental organizations, media, and universities, labeling them as “agents” and “enemies of the country,” a chilling echo of Soviet-era vilification in a bid to break the protestors’ spirit.
Shalva Papuashvili, the speaker of Georgia’s parliament, said on May 8 that the ruling Georgian Dream party is compiling a database of individuals it claims are involved in “violence, blackmail, threats and other illegal acts,” or “who publicly endorse these actions.” Minister of the Interior Vakhtang Gomelauri has threatened protesters with the long-forgotten Article 222 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which carries a potential sentence of up to four years in prison. While Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party’s effective leader and honorary Chairman called NGOs “a pseudo-elite nurtured by a foreign country.” He argued they were part of a “global party of war.”
The attacks and intimidation raise grave concerns about privacy and potential misuse of information while underlining that the proposed legislation, ostensibly aimed at transparency, actually seeks to silence activists and independent media, infringing on freedoms and exacerbating societal divisions.
Despite the onslaught of persecution and intimidation, the determination of Georgia’s youth has only strengthened. Each attempt to silence them has been met by yet more protests and a stated determination to fight for democratic values and a future aligned with Europe.
On May 13, as demonstrators flooded the streets overnight to impede the progress of parliamentary proceedings to the third reading, Parliament’s Legal Committee sped the Foreign Agents Law through its final stages.
The entire committee meeting, including voting, was concluded in 67 seconds, with numerous opposition MPs physically stopped from entering Parliament by police. Participation by MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party was also minimal, and genuine debate was notably absent.
On May 14, parliament adopted the law in its third and final reading, by 84 votes to 30 against. The law now requires the president’s signature to enter into force. She has already announced her intention to veto it, but the ruling party has sufficient votes to overcome her decision.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused forces outside the country of fermenting the protests and said parliament would back the law to “make an important contribution to the end of the so-called polarization that has been imposed from outside.”
As the prime minister spoke, the protest in the streets continued to draw increasing numbers and showed no signs of stopping.
The streets of Tbilisi are more than just a protest site, they are a stage where the values of democracy, freedom, and a European future are being fiercely defended by a generation that refuses to be silenced.
In the shadow of Narikala, the spirit of resistance is alive and well. It speaks with the voices of the young, who, though confronted with shadows of authoritarianism, continue to fight for the light of democracy.
Ketevan Chachava is a democracy and civil activist from Georgia and serves as a Steering Committee member of the World Movement for Democracy. With over 18 years of civil sector experience, she held management roles in local and international NGOs, including as Director of the Information Center on NATO and EU from 2016-2017. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Communications from Kings College London.
Natia Zoidze is a human rights lawyer who focuses on issues at the intersection of democratization and social justice. With an LLM in Human Rights Law from Queen Mary University of London, she actively champions democratic values and human rights. She is Deputy Executive Director at the Center for Development and Democracy, a prominent Georgian NGO.
Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.
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