Rioni Gorge defenders leave Tbilisi after protests

The last protest action against the construction of the Namakhvan hydroelectric power plant (HPP) on the Rioni River was held in Tbilisi. Now, protesters move their actions to the Imereti Region, to the construction site of the HPP.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 23, opponents of the construction of the Namakhvan HPP put forward an ultimatum to Georgian authorities, threatening to paralyze Tbilisi if their demands were not met. In the evening on May 24, protesters blocked Rustaveli Avenue, stating that they would not unblock it until May 26. However, on May 25, they unblocked the avenue.

On May 26, protesters against the construction of an HPP cascade on the Rioni River left Tbilisi and moved in a motorcade towards Namakhvani. Varlam Goletiani, one of the protest leaders, stated during the rally that protesters intend to interfere with the preparatory works at the construction site.

"Our fight will continue in Namakhvani. And it will be, of course, not a physical fight, but a bloodless one. We have been participating in it for six months now, and we'll complete it also without bloodshed," he promised.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 27, 2021 at 05:49 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.