Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday condemned recent protests in the capital, drawing a comparison between current events and the 1989 struggle for Georgia’s independence.
In a social media post, Papuashvili described the protests, which were sparked by the Government’s decision late last year to halt the country’s EU integration until 2028 due to alleged pressure from the west to “drag Georgia” into the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as an “attempt to undermine Georgia’s sovereignty and independence”, likening the current situation to the violent suppression of pro-independence demonstrations by Soviet forces on this day in 1989.
He recalled how soldiers under the command of General Igor Rodionov sought to crush Georgia’s aspirations for freedom, but ultimately failed. Today, he said, the people on Rustaveli Avenue, waving foreign flags, were attempting to do the same.
“Just as Rodionov’s soldiers failed to suppress the idea of independence in 1989, today’s provocateurs will not succeed,” Papuashvili claimed. He emphasized that despite differences of opinion within the country, including past boycotts and disputes over referendums, Georgia’s people had “ultimately drawn lessons from history”.
“Foreign powers have once again sought to destabilize our nation,” he continued, warning of a renewed propaganda campaign allegedly aimed at dividing and controlling Georgia. However, Papuashvili reaffirmed the” resilience of the Georgian people”, declaring that “their choice to elect a government committed to defending the country’s sovereignty would not waver”.
“The Georgian people have learned their lesson,” Papuashvili wrote.
“They have elected a government that will defend our state to the end.
The order of the Georgian people will be fulfilled – equality, justice, independence, and originality.”
“We will win,” he declared. “Georgia will win. The idea of April 9 and the spilled blood will win.”
