Tbilisi Turned into Tent City

Opposition parties chose new method of expressing their protest. The idea of “Dead City” proposed by the singer “Utsnobi” (stranger) was changed into the idea of setting up tents in front of the president’s residence. There are tents in many streets of Tbilisi.

At 12:00 am on April 15 the nearly 20 tents set up in front of the president’s residence were almost empty. Demonstrators were sitting outside in the sun and were talking. Having arrived there, I had the impression that most of them felt themselves at home.

We inquired how they spent the night in the tents and in reply the members of the opposition parties smiled and then added: “We had a perfect night.” They feel well and staying in tents does not create any discomfort for them. At least, one night in the street has not harmed their stubbornness and spirit. One of the demonstrators said: “We have to stay here because of the current situation. We do not have unbearable conditions. Members of opposition parties supply us with food. In the evening we warm ourselves close to the bonfire. We can stand this situation until Saakashvili will be forced to resign.”

The residents of the tents can drink water at the small stream close to the street. As for their biological demands, they go to the half-destroyed building close to the residence of the president.

The residents of the tents are mostly men. “Women stay here until late evening. Then they go home.  Most of them have families and children to take care,” said one of them. Likewise, the female members of the opposition parties were not in the area at 12:00 pm.

Zviad Dzidziguri, leader of the Conservative Party visited the demonstrators and asked them to call 10-15 women who would clean the surrounding area because the street was already too dirty.

So, the demonstrators have shared their responsibilities: male oppositionists spend nights in the tents and female ones clean the surrounding area of the residence of the president. The female demonstrators have been cleaning the territory since the incident between the cleaners from the City Hall and demonstrators.

Demonstrators in the tents read newspapers. They discuss various topics. Afterwards, the rally started and they joined the people.

One of the leaders of the opposition parties, Eka Beselia stated that almost every leader of the opposition parties, except women, spent nights in the tents. “They left the tents in the morning because we are having meetings of the HQ members. We plan to set up tents in Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building. We will set up tents in other places too” stated Beselia, though she did not clarify exactly where.

The tents are of various shape and sizes. A little girl is residing in a small tent. She was fast asleep at 1:00 pm after being awake all night until then. One of the demonstrators said: “She spent the night with us. She was sitting close to the fire all night long and in the morning she asked permission to sleep,” I was very worried about the fate of the girl and I was waiting for her to wake up. Her name is Nastia and she is 10-year-old. Her mother is in prison and she does not have father. The aunt is raising her up and claimed she has a house too. The girl joined the demonstrators because she wondered what was going on. “My family knows where I am and they will not worry,” said the little girl.

Nastia has her hair cut short and it is impossible to guess if she is a boy or girl until she says her name. She is wearing a dirty pink coat and her hands and face are dirty too. I do not know if it is because of last night’s fire or her life style.

Such is one day in front of the president’s residence from morning till evening. Then the rally starts and everybody demands the resignation of the President Saakashvili.