This concerns you

‘This Concerns You’ movement is holding a protest rally jointly organize by the non-governmental organizations, protests against illegal interception and leak of private life materials. Campaign participants demand timely and in-depth investigation of the committed crimes.

Rally participants started gathering outside the Philharmonic Concert Hall at 13.00, then the rally participants marched to the government’s chancellery with such slogans:

‘Listen to our voice, do not intercept us’

‘Others’ private life does not concern me, but what really concerns me is that others are intimidated by my reaction’

‘Illegal interception legalized’

NGOs also demand from the government to introduce relevant legislative amendments:

‘This Concerns You’ movement members insist on amending the law, under which the law-enforcers are entitled to conduct uncontrolled surveillance of citizens.The second demand is t conduct an efficient investigation and ensure the international experts’ involvement in it. The third demand is to set up an independent investigative body to probe into the violations committed by the law-enforcement agencies so that an impunity syndrome would no longer exist. 

The rally was planned in the social networks. Famous actors, singers, sportsmen, as well as ordinary citizens, have participated in it alongside the civil sector.

“ We have gathered here to protest against interference in private life, against illegal surveillance, interception – all that was a common practice for the former government and the incumbent government is not taking appropriate measures to address this problem.

 “No one has a right to spy on us in our bedrooms, and nobody has a right to blackmail us with our private lives

“ We must make a choice – either to continue living in a civilized world with democratic values, or to continue living together with the Soviet past

“ I think, if the authorities fail to take serious appropriate measures, there will be more footages in future

“That’s all very good. It proves that our society is at its best. I have joined this rally as an ordinary citizen, a journalist, since that concerns me. I pledge that I will spare no efforts to find out who those sick freaks are and to ensure that they end up in jail for a long time

“ One shouldn’t sit at home, when such things are happening in the country. We have to protest together against the things that are going on now. We must, first of all, express our protest against those, who have been involved in all that. “

“ Of course, the responsibility, first of all, rests on the government. There may be some other persons liable, but we don’t know, who they are. But we do know those, who are in power.

“ This concerns everyone. This concerns us. This concerns you. So, we should be here. We must show solidarity to each other and put an end to moral terror against country’s citizens once and forever. “

“ Finally we will realize what private life means and if one has something personal against anybody, then he/she should choose a more appropriate means of struggle instead of gaining political scores using such a dirty method

“ We should simply explain to our government that there is a red line that one should never step over.

“We stand in solidarity with those, who have been affected by all that.

“This public protest is important for the society. That’s probably how each society is developing. “

Similar rallies have been held in Telavi, Batumi, Zugdidi and Gori.

photo by  Khatia Gogokhia

published: 19.03.2016