Georgian residents commemorate victims of 1989 Tbilisi tragedy

Today residents of Tbilisi came to the Memorial of April 9 casualties in the Rustaveli Avenue, erected in the place, where 21 years ago - in April 1989 - peaceful demonstrators perished at dispersal by Soviet authorities of a multi-thousand-strong rally.

Elias the Second, Catholicos Patriarch of the whole Georgia, held a requiem service. He has noted that on that day the whole world could see how great the Georgian people's love for their homeland is, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

Already from the midnight, people started to come to the Rustaveli Avenue: participants of that rally, casualties' relatives and ordinary citizens were coming. At that particular time of the day 21 years ago military units began to surround the demonstrators. The rally was dispersed at 4 o'clock in the morning. Before that, Elias the Second arrived to the rally, warned the protesters about the threat and invited them to the Cashuet Church to pray together; however, demonstrators refused to leave. They told the Patriarch that knew about the danger but were not afraid of Soviet tanks.

Twenty-one years ago, in the capital of Georgia, in the Rustaveli Avenue, in front of the building of the government, units of the internal troops of the Soviet Union, supported by armoured machines, dispersed peaceful demonstrators by means sapper shovels, truncheons, and tear and poison gas. 21 peaceful citizens, aged from 16 to 70, including 16 women, were lost. About 500 persons more were wounded by shovels, mutilated by truncheons and poisoned by gas.

Until now, doctors cannot define the substances used by militaries in their gas bottles. Several dozens of victims are still under doctor's supervision and receive treatment allowances.

Then, for five days, rallies and demonstrations were incessant with demand of Georgia's independence. They were initiated by the National Democratic Party, Ilya Chavchavadze Society, Helsinki Union and other political organizations.