Prepared by Messenger Staff
Citizens Mark 300 Days of Demonstrations with March in Tbilisi
Carrying the slogan "Until the end! To save Georgia!" protesters marched on September 23 from the 300 Aragvians Memorial to Rustaveli Avenue, marking the 300th consecutive day of demonstrations in Tbilisi.
The rally began symbolically at the monument dedicated to the 300 Aragvians, with participants saying their prolonged protest is aimed at forcing the government to "return to the constitutional framework and stop the terror carried out against citizens."
Protesters argued that state institutions have turned against the public and accused the authorities of escalating the crisis rather than seeking compromise. "For 300 days, Georgian citizens have been asking their own government to return to the constitutional framework and stop the terror directed against citizens. We have turned into a terrorist state, where state institutions are directed against the people," one demonstrator said.
They reiterated two central demands: restoration of constitutional governance and the announcement of new parliamentary elections. "After so many days of protest, the government should have called new elections if it really wanted to resolve the problem in the country. Instead, we get escalating steps. Not a single constructive move, not a single compromising step has been taken. The situation is only escalating; they have shifted to a regime of terror," the participant continued.
The demonstrators said the protest would not stop without government concessions. "We cannot decide to accept all this and disperse to our homes. Of course, the protest will continue; it did not arise without reason - the author of the protest is the government itself. How the protest will be resolved and in what form it will continue depends on the government," the speaker said.
Russian-Occupied Abkhazia Eyes Direct Sea Links with Syria
Sokhumi is exploring the possibility of launching direct maritime connections with Syrian ports, according to Teimuraz Mikvabia, the de facto economy minister of Russian-occupied Abkhazia.
In an interview with the Kremlin-controlled TASS news agency, Mikvabia said that Abkhazia and Syria have already formalized cooperation on several levels. "We've already signed a number of agreements with the Syrian Arab Republic at both the governmental and agency levels, and we are working with our colleagues on transport and logistics links," he stated on September 23.
Mikvabia suggested that sea trade could be advantageous for both sides, pointing to Syria's agricultural output. He also indicated that air travel might be discussed later. "In the future, we will certainly raise the issue of air connections, since an airport operates in Damascus," he said.
The economy official noted that an Abkhaz delegation recently attended the 62nd Damascus International Fair, where discussions with Syrian authorities were held on potential cooperation.
Syria recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent entities in 2018. Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024, Georgian leaders from across the political spectrum, along with U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson, urged Syria's interim authorities to reverse that recognition.
