On the evening of November 29, as the protests of the citizens of Georgia continue, President Salome Zourabichvili appeared live. Here’s the full speech, unchanged:
“Georgia is remarkable, remarkable is its society. It’s been shown in every way – no one is ready to accept a Russified Georgia, a Georgia with a violated Constitution, a Georgia under the control of an illegitimate government and parliament. This is why you are so many today {outside in protest}.
I see you, I see you on Rustaveli, I see you in various cities across Georgia – Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Akhmeta, Lagodekhi, Telavi… This is remarkable, to see unanimously and spontaneously gathered citizens of Georgia in this way – peacefully, absolutely peacefully.
I would like to address, first and foremost, the law enforcements. I know that the police, that the patrol police is doing everything they can – and I am grateful for this. But the rest {of the law enforcements} – I want to address you directly – do not raise your hands on young people, nor other citizens. Exercise restraint and fulfill your {true} duty.
Nothing is going on – not on Rustaveli, nor in any other cities, which would require your intervention or {violent} dispersal. This is why, the responsibility for all this – is on you and your leaders – they should think of this.
I also wish to address those expressing solidarity – our fellow citizens, our diaspora members, who are demonstrating in Berlin, Paris, Washington, Poznan, Brussels, and Strasbourg – this represents a significant movement, which demands that our Foreign Ministry and diplomatic corps become full participants in this process – and we see this happening. These protests are yielding results, as evidenced today by approximately 150 Foreign Ministry employees who have disassociated themselves from this new pro-Russian policy and expressed their protest through their signatures.
Furthermore, our ambassador to Bulgaria has resigned, and representatives in five other cities have similarly expressed their protest – this is particularly significant in those cities – especially in EU capitals, where they should be representing Georgia’s European future, rather than a suspended – whether temporarily or indefinitely suspended – European integration process.
In the Ministry of Defense, more than 40 employees have also joined the protest and made statements in this regard. This carries profound significance, because I want to emphasize once again that, as the Commander-in-Chief, I empathize with the situation our entire military finds itself in when told that our partners are not trustworthy – when our partners are insulted – this is even more unacceptable for them.
Regarding the critically important education sector – more than 450 employees have already joined this protest, which is so significant. 17 judges and 2 district court judges – all of them have once again distanced themselves from this pro-Russian policy. More than 100 employees from the Justice Ministry’s Service Development Agency, 16 employees of the Constitutional Court, 42 employees of Adjara Public Broadcasting, 9 members of Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili Senate – this is an enormous movement that has begun in the public sector, in the state sector, and which is gradually encompassing all of Georgia. This means that where people serve the state and Georgia’s future and interests most devotedly, there this protest has emerged and will not stop. This is not about people who work there necessarily having to resign – no, these people should stay in their positions, because tomorrow too they will serve their country and state, but they must express their protest, and today I met with several NGOs and I can say that everyone who might be punished because of this protest, because of these statements and public protests – they will be protected.
Also, the learning process has been temporarily suspended in several universities – private universities – GIPA, BTU, Caucasus University, Sulkhan-Saba University, and Alterbridge. I want to mention this as well, and this is very important for us to note; for me, for non-governmental organizations, for political parties, and generally for society, that after yesterday’s demonstration 43 people have been detained – we do not forget them, their fate is extremely important, and this is the responsibility of the entire society, and I personally feel this responsibility {to ensure their safety}.
I want to say once again that this is a massive demonstration that encompasses the entire country, a tremendous protest that encompasses the entire country – we are all loyal in this protest, we are all together in this protest. I can say today that a resistance movement has begun. It has begun by you – without anyone’s direction, without anyone’s demand, spontaneously, a peaceful and constitutional resistance movement, with which I am entirely in solidarity, I am by your side, and we are all together until Georgia achieves its goal, returns to its European path, achieves new elections, and achieves that its future is protected once and for all.”
Photo source: The Georgian Times
