Mardzhanishvili Theatre. Source: www.tbilisi.gov.ge

24 April 2009, 22:00

In Georgia, opposition disrupts Mikhail Saakashvili's late supper

Last night the opposition in Tbilisi carried out its first action of "chasing President", having disrupted Mikhail Saakashvili's late supper in the cafe near Mardzhanishvili Theatre. Saakashvili had to leave the place together with his bodyguards.

We remind you that on April 22 Eka Beseliya, leader of the Party "Movement for United Georgia", said that the Georgian opposition has declared a 'Mikhail Saakashvili's hunt' and plans to block all his movements.

Eka Beseliya called the population of Tbilisi to promptly inform the oppositions on all President's travels, and the first such call was made already last night.

Some ten minutes after the President arrived to the cafe, the building was surrounded by supporters of the opposition who were ready to throw carrots and cabbage at the building, however, policemen interfered and stopped the action, as the "News-Georgia" Agency reports.

The action was held by activists of the youth movement "November 7". They were shouting: "Don't you be afraid of us, go out to your people!", "Enjoy your meal!" and "Help yourself to carrots and cabbage, you, coward!"

The action did not last long: President's supper was guarded by dozens of patrol units and a whole detachment of armed special fighters. A fight burst out between oppositionists and guards of public order.

The office of the opposition reported later that in the time of the skirmish between law enforcers and oppositionists President left the cafe. Participants of the action told journalists that the police detained two activists; however, the MIA made no comments on the incident yet.

"For more than two weeks already, people are away in the streets at any time, under rain and in cold, and our President in the meantime visits cafes and restaurants," said Nino Burdzhanadze, ex-speaker of parliament of Georgia, in this context. She has promised that the opposition "will permanently take care of Saakashvili's personal discomfort."

The "Interfax" reports that as a whole the last night in Tbilisi, in the streets picketed by supporters of the opposition, passed calmly.

The oppositionists have blocked traffic at the building of the Public TV and made the so-called "corridor of shame" through which TV workers should pass in order to get into the building. "The opposition accuses the top managers of the Public TV 'of serving to Saakashvili, not to people'," said one of the oppositionists.

Yesterday, on April 23, the Georgian opposition set up a large tent camp in front of the Public TV building. The organizers of the action declared that they would give way only to ambulances.

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