RED SQUARE DEFENDED AGAINST GEORGIANS

Kommersant

Aug. 14, 2008
Russia

The hope to rally near St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow in support of
Georgia on the day of national mourning for victims of South Ossetia
didn’t materialize. Instead, leaders of Caucasus diasporas met to
condemn Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.

August 13 was the day of national mourning for victims of South
Ossetia’s war. A group of activists headed by Rusudan Strelkova
chose exactly that day to rally on the Red Square, near St. Basil’s
Cathedral, in solidarity with Georgia. The respective information
was released by one of the radio stations yesterday morning.

Strelkova urged the supporters to show up near St. Basil’s Cathedral
at 5:00 p.m. wearing white clothes symbolizing the call for peace. She
endeavored to attract the Union of Georgians in Russia to the rally,
to no avail though.

"We don’t know her and don’t trust her. Besides, if a crowd gathers
in the Red Square with transparencies it will be an unsanctioned
action with all consequences," people in the Union of Georgians in
Russia explained.

But the enforcement officers responded to Strelkova’s calls in no
time. The Red Square was closed at roughly 3.00 p.m. with all tourists
advised to move to Alexandrovsky Garden or Manezhnaya Square. Two
trucks with police officers were on alert near the Historic Museum
and the plans were to open the Red Square no sooner than 11:00 p.m.

Also yesterday, spokesmen of the Caucasus diasporas gathered in the
Moscow House of Nationalities to discuss military actions in South
Ossetia. The event was attended by chiefs of Georgian, Armenian, South
Ossetia’s and Azerbaijan’s diasporas. After two-hour debates, the
leaders called to put on trial Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
and condemned his "treacherous aggression."

But despite all efforts of Moscow Georgians to wear off the conflict,
it is burning on cultural level. Georgian famous singer and actor
Vakhtang Kikabidze rejected Russia’s Friendship Order and cancelled
the Moscow concert dedicated to his 70th anniversary. The event was
to be held in the Kremlin October 5.