Independence Day Protests

So, one more post today about something that is making the news here and in the US. Thursday was Georgia's Independence Day from Russia. Most of my neighbors had supras long into the night or celebrated with family. Many major cities like Tbilisi and Batumi had protests run by the Opposition. They hoped to oust the current President, reunite ties with Russia, and encourage freedom of speech. The last issue seems odd to me. My host family or co-teachers have never complained about not having freedom of speech or feeling restricted by their government. The news found on the TV do not paint the protestors to be very peaceful or searching for civil rights. (Yes, I know this has a strong pro-government bias) I see images on the TV of protestors with large white sticks and even an attack on a car. It's hard for me to support the idea of these protestors when I see first-hand the good that the president's reforms are doing, especially in education.

There were some earlier protests last week and then again this week. The embassy sent out emails warning US citizens to avoid the areas where the protests were taking place. I'm certainly very safe here in Poti and didn't have any plans to travel to those cities during the weekend. I get to instead observe the changes from a safe distance. I've attached some links below about the events. If you're interested I suggest you read the short articles. Each one has a different bias.

TIME
  New York Times
    RT Video (Russia but in English)
      A georgian video to come, when my internet decides to cooperate