| Tbilisi Braces for Second Day of Protests |
| / 3 Nov.'07 / 15:40 Civil Georgia |
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| Imedi TV provides live coverage of the protest rally. |
Some opposition leaders have become more radical in their demands, with protesters more often chanting “Go away, Go away” and "Resign, Resign" referring to President Saakashvili. Opposition politicians were saying on November 2 that their four demands were “much more moderate” than those of the protesters.
“I was telling to Aslan Abashidze [ex-Adjarian leader], before his ouster: do not force your self to face a choice between the ways of [deposed Yugoslav Slobodan] Milosevic and [deposed Romanian communist leader Nicolae] Ceausescu. Now I am telling the same to Saakashvili: do not force yourself to face this choice; you still have time to make a choice in favor of [holding] elections [in spring, 2008]. Do not become a hostage of your inner-circle,” Davit Berdzenishvili of the Republican Party told protesters.
“He is afraid. He said he was so brave that he went to Ganmukhuri to confront Russian soldiers, but he is afraid to come here and look into your eyes,” MP Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of Conservative Party said.
“Everything depends on our endurance,” MP Kakha Kukava of the Conservative Party told the protesters. “They [the authorities] hope that we will disperse because of cold, but it will not happen. Not a single step back.”
Meanwhile, the authorities plan a concert on a stadium of Georgian pop singers. Opposition has claimed that the show was the government’s attempt to distract people amid the opposition’s protest rally. Reports say that the government has provided buses to bring people from provinces to attend the concert at the Locomotive stadium.
Tens of thousands of people were gathered outside the parliament on November 2. Officials said there were only 25,000 people. Opposition leaders have claimed over 100,000 protesters rallied; other estimates varied from at least 50,000 to 70,000.