On a crowded Rustaveli Avenue, President Salome Zurabishvili addressed the protesters and the nation. Zurabishvili spoke in front of the First Georgian Gymnasium, adorned with statues of Ilia Chavhavadze and Akaki Tsereteli, two pillars of the 19th-century Georgian national awakening. She confirmed that she remains in office and called on Bidzina Ivanishvili to come to the presidential residence and negotiate the new election date before December 29.
The audio and live feed have been interrupted several times due to technical issues. Some suspected interference. This is what the president said:
“We are here today in a symbolic place, in this school, my father studied. Behind me, Ilia (Chavchavadze) and Akaki (Tsereteli) look down on the new Georgia that has already been born through you. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, it will be a strong, very European Georgia, and no one can stop it. True, there are about 300 of you here (a sarcastic reference to Kobakhidze’s claims that only a few hundred people are participating in the ongoing protests), true, they took our stage and microphones and promised to put me behind bars, but we are not afraid.
We are not afraid because there is only love here. Those who say that some kind of confrontation is born here, they are lying, here only peace, love and freedom prevail. Among many marches that come to this today was the Antsukhelidze March (of the army veterans), and we all have a duty to him (Antsukhelidze, Georgian military was tortured and killed by Russian occupation forces in 2008, after he refused to spit on the flag The killing was filmed. I have also a duty to him, we all have a duty to him, who laid down his life for this new Georgia.Beside him, many heroes from ours past contributed to us standing here, because Georgia never gives in. And you are right now.
I will tell you what reverence I will do, what I will do. I remain true to the Constitution that I swore to six years ago. Although the Georgian Dream has trampled on it, it stands just as Georgia does. I can only be true to that. I will remain loyal to the veterans of the Georgian Army who are marching today defending Georgia; to the army, army that remains loyal to the partners who have supported, equipped and strengthened it. I am and remain its commander-in-chief. I will remain true to the people standing here. And not just to people standing here. Don’t let anyone think I’m not everybody’s president. I am the president of all Georgians, and I will remain so.
Whoever wants things to end well in this country, let them come to (President Orbeliani’s) palace. I invite (Bidzina) Ivanishvili to come to the palace tomorrow, because he controls everything. I am ready to sit down and negotiate how the election will go. But the date of the new election must be decided before (December) 29. We all have a great chance to move this country forward, to set an example of democracy, reconciliation and progress for the whole world. I expect an answer. I will be giving a full taped award tomorrow night from the residence as they seem to be stealing not only our stage (referring to the stage robbing earlier today, allegedly by the police), but also stealing my voice (referring to jamming) .”
Before Zurabishvili’s performance, Georgian and European anthems were played and sung by Georgians gathered to demand the restoration of the country’s democratic and European trajectory. Mass protests against Georgian Dream’s decision to end the EU accession protest have continued for the 25th day despite violent police crackdowns and repression.
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