Thousands of people of various professions gathered on the ground, including Ukrainian refugees who took refuge in Georgia. One of them also delivered a speech on the stage and thanked the protesters for their support and assistance.
“Thank you on behalf of the whole of Ukraine today. Our countries: Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova have a common geopolitical problem called Russia. We must preserve the history of our countries. “We must be able to integrate into Europe by standing together, and I believe we can do that,” said a Ukrainian protester.
Before the start of the peaceful rally, footage of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the 2008 Russia-Georgia war was shown on a specially installed screen. It was a demonstration of how the occupier country has been fighting Ukraine so far and what Georgia has gone through.
During the speech of the Chairman of the Trade Unions, Irakli Petriashvili, the people gathered on the spot with banners and flags shouted the words: “No to War”, “Glory to Georgia and Glory to Ukraine”.
Irakli Petriashvili stressed that now it is necessary to concentrate on the issue of European integration aspirations and support for Ukraine without confrontation and search for the image of the enemy, despite the differences between them.
“Decent country, worthy children, your coming here is a proof that no orator can say more than your coming here to express your opinion to show our support for the Ukrainian people and the right path towards European integration. Our gathering here is a message to both the enemy and the lover. For the enemy is that we will never leave in distress people who share the same views, the move towards Europe, European values, which implies democracy, fair coexistence, a dignified life and at the same time redistribution of responsibility to society and public responsibility for running the country. “This is the difference between what Ukraine wants and what Russia is fighting for,” Irakli Petriashvili told protesters.
The chairman of the trade unionს also read a letter from the Secretary General of the ETUC and PERC. Luca Vicente’s welcome address underscores his support for the prospect of the three countries that have signed the Association Agreement joining the EU.
According to the Confederation of European Trade Unions and the Secretary General of the Pan-European Council, this agenda has already been discussed with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and they will use every opportunity to raise this issue.