Popular Georgian singer declares 'Day of Eternity of Georgia' in anti-opposition protest
“The opposition and opposition media have come to an end” – this was the slogan on April 9 on Europe Square in Tbilisi organized by the well-known performer and showman Gia Gachechiladze, popularly known as ‘Utsnobi’ (Stranger).
April 9 in Georgia is the Day of National Unity, Civil Accord and Memory of those who died for their homeland. It is also the Day of the Restoration of Georgia’s Independence.
Gia Gachechiladze announced the establishment of the ‘Day of Eternity of Georgia’ and said that one of the main goals of the action was to declare support for the patriarch and the church, which, in his opinion, “are regularly attacked by the opposition.
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In early April 2021, Gachechiladze issued a statement on the creation of a new movement that opposes those who have drawn the country into a political crisis – both against the authorities and against the opposition. However, the April 9 rally was attended by many government officials and active supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Utsnobi has long been involved in political processes and is a fierce opponent of ex-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili’s United National Movement party is currently the leading opposition force in the country. In 2008, during the reign of Saakashvili, Gia Gachechiladze led a famous TV project called “Camera No. 5”. For eight months he lived in a “prison cell” that was set up in a television studio on the Maestro channel. Oppositionists came to see him there, as it were, on “dates in prison” and conducted live discussions.
Gachechiladze said from the rostrum that he would like to get rid of the permanent protest that the opposition is waging on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building, and called their tents “smelly and dirty.”
Other participants of the protest did not hesitate in voicing harsh criticism of the opposition. “We are here to disperse the gang of assassins outside the parliament,” one of them told reporters.
The protesters marched from Europe Square to the Patriarchate. The priests came to the roof of the building and poured holy water on the protesters from above. They thanked the people who came to the Patriarchate and posted a video about the event on Facebook.
Then a big concert of Utsnobi took place in the Deda Ena park.
The opposition claims that Gia Gachechiladze is the new project of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is considered the shadow ruler of Georgia.
“His movement is very dangerous for opposition media and civil society. People who preach hatred are Ivanishvili’s mainstay. He always used them against the interests of our country and the civil world,” Gigi Bokeria, leader of the opposition party European Georgia, told reporters.
