Akhalkalaki Residents Rallied Against Russian Base Pullout
Civil Georgia, Georgia
March 13 2005
Around 4,000 local residents of Akhalkalaki, town in Georgia’s
south-western region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, which is predominantly
populated by ethnic Armenians, rallied on March 13 to protest against
withdrawal of Russian military bases stationed in this town.
The rally was organized by newly set up public movement United
Javakhk, which was established on March 10 after several local
public organizations united in an attempt, as the founders put it,
“to protect local Armenian population of Javakheti.”
“The main slogans of the protest rally in Akhalkalaki were: ‘Together
with Georgia’ and ‘No to Russian Base Pullout,” Edward Avertian of
United Javakhk told Civil Georgia on March 13.
The part of the local population in Akhalkalaki is employed at the
Russian military base. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on
March 11, while commenting on this issue: “I do not want to create any
problems to these people; the Georgian authorities will support them.”