21:57, 21 August 2025

Mass march in support of media ends on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi

Participants in the march in support of independent online publications walked with flashlights from Republic Square to the parliament building in Tbilisi, where a photo exhibition was organized. Activists blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue for the 267th day in a row.

As reported by "Kavkazsky Uzel", protesters in Tbilisi announced a action in support of independent online publications on August 21 under the slogan: "The light must not go out." Its participants planned to gather at Republic Square and march to the parliament building.

Since November 28, 2024, supporters of European integration have been going to Tbilisi for daily rallies near the Georgian parliament and blocking traffic along Rustaveli Avenue, demanding the release of all arrested protesters and the appointment of new parliamentary elections.

Today, on the 267th day of continuous protests, supporters of Georgia's European integration again blocked Rustaveli Avenue near the parliament building in Tbilisi, Publika reports.

Participants of the march in support of the online media “The Light Must Not Go Out” joined the daily action - activists with lit lanterns walked from First Republic Square to Freedom Square, after which an exhibition of photographs taken by independent media was organized near the parliament building. The photographs in the exhibition are dedicated to socially important events that took place in Georgia in different years.

The fifth president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, joined the march in support of the media. Relatives of political prisoners also took part in it, in particular, the son of the arrested actor Andro Chichinadze, Niko Chichinadze, NEWS.On.ge reports.

The campaign under the slogan “The light must not go out!” was organized by 22 online media outlets that united in support of independent media. It began on August 13, when online media symbolically closed their websites for a while - visitors saw black screens when trying to access their pages.

“Repressive legislation has put independent online media at risk of extinction. Journalists continue their professional activities at the cost of freedom, health and personal safety, under constant pressure,” Pirveli TV quoted the campaign organizers as saying.

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Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/414017