Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched Monday in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, to demand membership of the European Union of this former Soviet republic of the Caucasus.
Brandissant des drapeaux européens et géorgiens, environ 120.000 manifestants, selon une estimation de l'AFP basée sur des photos prises par des drones, se sont rassemblés devant le parlement géorgien, quelques jours après que la Commission européenne a recommandé d'attendre avant de dénoncer pour accorder à Tbilissi le statut de candidat à l'adhésion.
Several pro-European organizations and all opposition formations had called for a "march for Europe" Monday evening in Tbilisi, in order to "prove the commitment of the Georgian people in their European choice and in Western values" .
"Europe is a historic choice and aspiration for Georgians, for which all generations have made sacrifices," the organizers said in the statement.
"Freedom, peace, sustainable economic development, the protection of human rights and justice are values which unite us all and which would be guaranteed by integration into the European Union", they added.
One of the organizers, human rights activist Shota Digmelashvili, read out a manifesto announcing another rally on Friday and the launch of a "new people's movement" that will include opposition parties but be dominated by civil activists.
"We will formulate our demands to the government and if it does not meet them, non-violent resistance will sweep away all those who are derailing Georgia from its European path," he said.
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