“We want changes”

TBILISI, Georgia – Before the crowds of young people whistling and yelling “Go, Go Misha,” before the pensioners, the politicians and other protesters marched down Rustaveli Avenue Thursday, one man stood quietly in front of Parliament in a priest’s hood.“It is my responsibility and obligation to stand in front of the people who fight for changes and ideas,” said Priest Rostom Patudze, who walked in front of Nino Burjanadze’s Democratic Movement United Georgia protest march, which left Tbilisi State University at noon, to get to parliament before the rest.

The only priest visible at the protest said he believes President Mikheil Saakashvili should resign and said he plans to stay with protesters until the end.“Sahakashvili took from us our dignity and freedom. We need it back for our creativity. He has shaken the basis of morality. We need changes,” said Patutdze.About 55,000 people expressed their dissatisfaction with the current administration in a daylong march and demonstration in front of Parliament. They came from all different walks of life: teachers, doctors, workers, pensioners, politicians and college students who all had different reasons for being there, but all wanting the same thing: a new government.

Among them was 44-year-old Ioseb Chubinidze who said that he is ready to stay in front of Parliament all night.”We must achieve our goal. Sahakashvili must go,” he said. Chubinidze didn’t look tired, even though he’s been standing more than five hours when he was interviewed. Most of them can’t hear what the oppositional leaders are speaking. Some of them were just talking to each other or snacking on sunflower seeds.

“It doesn’t matter if we can hear the leaders or not. The most important thing is that we are here. We show our unity. We need to fight for our rights,” said Maya Tapavo, a youngish doctor who contends it’s “time to cure the country.”Some young people wear the white shirts with “Changes” written on them in Georgian. Two people hold a dummy. It has two faces. At one side it is Mikheil Sahakashvili’s face, from the other side Vladimir Putin’s.“They are the same. They both stop Georgia’s development,” said a woman walking down the street.
Even the cold weather did not dissuade everyone from leaving. Seventy-year-old pensioner Sira Khutsishvili told an Associated Press journalist she, too, plans to stay the entire time. “Go and tell to your president Obama not to work with Sahakashvili. He is a crazy and bad person,” she advised the reporter.

In the meantime, Priest Patudze believes protesters are doing right thing.“Sahakashvili becomes kind of Santa Clause. Sometimes he gave sweeties to the people and thinks that it is enough to deserve their love and respect,” he said. “But we want more.”
By Arevik Badalyan

The dummy that has two faces. Photo by Giorgi Pkhachiashvili.

The priest Patudze. Photo by Giorgi Pkhachiashvili.