“Protests will continue as long as it will be necessary to achieve the goal of getting rid of Russian interference”
This statement was made by Natia Kobaridze, journalist, human rights defender to the Ednews.
Ednews presents short interview with Natia Kobaridze:
- Georgia withdrawed 'foreign agents' bill after days of protests. Did the withdrawal of the draft law, which led to what happened in Georgia today, reassure people, or do the protests continue?
- These are not just people, these are citizens of Georgia who are fighting for Georgia's joining to the EU. All of these are for freedom, democracy, equality and sovereignty. It is against the influence of the Kremlin and against the hidden rule of the Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. The protests will continue as long as it will be necessary to achieve the goal of getting rid of Russian interference. You see how the Kremlin officials praise our government and vice versa, how they hate the protesters, the opposition and Western support. Citizens of Georgia have been fighting this for 30 years and will continue until the end.
- What ideas are formed in the government with such a reaction of people? What steps will the government take next?
It is difficult to say exactly what the Georgian Kremlin authorities will do. The main thing is that they get lesson their first, serious defeat in front of civil society. Surely, no one has any illusions that the “Georgian Dream” of the oligarch Ivanishvili will change course and serve the will of the people, because they are Ivanishvili's puppets. And Ivanishvili is terribly afraid of Georgia's rapprochement with the West. Because it means that the elections must be held fairly and freely, and Ivanishvili's party will definitely lose.
Georgian society was able to stop the adoption of the unjust, "Russian law". But, the Russian government is still in power.
- Are the participants of the protest under the influence of the West?
There is no such phenomenon as Western influence in Georgia. Georgians historically and culturally consider themselves a natural part of Europe. But, the Russian Empire, in its various forms of existence, does not let go of Georgia from under its imposed influence. According to polls, more than 80% of citizens support the country's accession to the EU. So the West is the free choice of the free citizens of Georgia. Talking about the influence of the West is an insult to the Georgian people, which is what the Kremlin is doing.
Ulviyya Shahin
