Initiated by the opposition coalition Strong Georgia – Lelo, a march titled “Russia Is the Enemy” took place in Zugdidi. On the 33rd anniversary of the fall of Sokhumi, the demonstrators marched from Freedom Square to the National Heroes Memorial Park.
Protesters carried portraits of national heroes and Georgian civilians who fell victim to Russian aggression. Participants laid flowers at the memorial and honored the memory of those killed in the War in Abkhazia.
The coalition leaders addressed the citizens gathered at the memorial, the majority of whom were veterans of the War in Abkhazia and internally displaced persons. They expressed profound respect for Georgian heroes and the individuals who paid the ultimate price during the armed conflict.
According to the leaders of the opposition alliance, the peaceful return of Abkhazia requires a strong state, a resilient economy, a powerful military, and a European path of development.
“Thirty-three years ago, Russian fire divided Georgia with an occupation line, but this division is temporary. The fall of Sokhumi is a temporary phenomenon. The fact is that today, near the Enguri Bridge, I heard something critically important: Abkhazians living in Sokhumi and displaced persons in Zugdidi actively maintain contact with each other and discuss the future of a united Georgia,” stated Irakli Kupradze, one of the leaders of Strong Georgia.
