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Do protest rallies have an influence on business?

Monday, May 4
“Yes, definitely! A stable country is the guarantee of a good and successful business environment. Stability has crucial importance.”
Soso, economist, 32

“Not a protest rally but this Government influences business. They terrorize businessmen and ask them to finance their PR campaigns. Stability and doing good and fair business in Georgia will be possible only after these people are removed from the chairs they are clenching with both hands.”
Nona, housewife, 54

“Of course they do. We will have to forget about investors for a long time if these protest rallies continue. The Georgian economy is very fragile and I think the political crisis in the country has a negative influence on it.”
Irakli, lawyer, 24

“Of course the protest rallies influence business. And this influence is not good. Blocked roads hamper manufacturing and purchasing.”
Meri, teacher, 45

“Protest rallies in the country negatively influence business. There are clear results which show this. Of course there wasn’t a good situation in Georgian business before the protest actions, but the ongoing rallies make it worse.”
Irakli, sportsman, 26

“I do not agree with people who claim that protest actions influence business badly. In my opinion, if there are any problems in Georgian business they are down to the global economic crisis. If anyone negatively influences business it is our Government. Business is not free in Georgia nowadays, and this is well known to everyone.”
Nino, foreign language specialist, 30

“Yes, of course the protest rallies influence business. Investors do not invest as much money in our country now as they did before the protest actions. This is really bad for our economy.”
Givi, engineer, 53

“I don’t think so. I have not heard any of my friends and relatives who have their own businesses complaining about a decline in sales since the April 9 protests began. But due to some other reasons businesses are suffering losses in Georgia, and not only in Georgia. I think it has nothing to do with politics.”
Soso, sportsman, 21

“Business has never flourished in Georgia, but now things have got very bad. I think somehow the street protests also contribute to this. The August war, the world financial crisis and the crisis inside the country create too heavy a burden for our economy to bear.”
Lana, nurse, 31

“The Government is trying to tell people that business is having difficulties due to the protest rallies. This is just a lie told in order to disperse the people standing outside Parliament. I do not think many believe these lies.”
Iza, teacher, 56