In Tbilisi today, several thousand people joined a march to mark the 17th anniversary of the start of the Russian-Georgian war, UNN reports with reference to Novosti-Georgia.
Details
The march started from Heroes' Square, where a monument to those who died for the territorial integrity and freedom of the country is erected. The participants of the action moved to the parliament on Rustaveli Avenue. The columns are accompanied by patrol police.
In the front rows is a giant banner with the slogan "Glory to heroes". Many demonstrators hold national flags and stickers with red poppies – a symbol of mourning for those killed during the 2008 war.
The participants of the march chanted various slogans: "Antsukhelidze is immortal", "Glory to heroes", "Long live heroes", "Glory to independent Georgia", "Glory to Ukraine", "Collapse of the rotten Russian Empire", etc. Obscene chants addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin could also be heard.
Addendum
The August 2008 war between Russia and Georgia lasted five days. On the Georgian side, 408 people died, including 170 servicemen, 14 police officers, and 224 civilians. More than 2,200 people were wounded, of whom more than a thousand were military personnel.
As a result of the conflict, about 26,000 residents of Georgian villages were forced to leave their homes. Taking into account refugees from Abkhazia in the 1990s, the total number of internally displaced persons in Georgia exceeded 263,000.
Russia officially recognized the "independence" of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region in August 2008. Tbilisi, in response, severed diplomatic relations with Moscow and declared the Tskhinvali region and Abkhazia occupied territories.
For several years, internal disputes have continued in Georgia regarding the causes of the conflict. Representatives of the currently ruling "Georgian Dream" state that responsibility for the start of the war lies with the previous leadership of the country, in particular, with ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili and his associates. The opposition accuses GD of serving Moscow's interests and even calls it a "collaborationist government".