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TBILISI: President Says Georgia On Frontline Of Struggle For Freedom

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  • TBILISI: President Says Georgia On Frontline Of Struggle For Freedom

    PRESIDENT SAYS GEORGIA ON FRONTLINE OF STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM

    Channel 1
    Sept 1 2008
    Tbilisi, Georgia

    Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, together with his wife and
    two sons, joined the human chain on Freedom Square in Georgian capital
    Tbilisi on 1 September. The human chain was organized in Tbilisi and
    other towns throughout Georgia ahead of the EU summit in Brussels,
    which is to discuss ways out of the recent Georgian-Russian armed
    conflict. A bit later, Saakashvili addressed people assembled on
    Freedom Square. His speech was broadcast live by the Georgian Public
    Broadcaster and Rustavi-2 TV stations. Saakashvili said that Georgia
    was "on the frontline of the struggle for freedom" and was "united
    as never before". Recalling how Georgia survived "most dangerous
    conquerors" in the past, Saakashvili said it would also survive the
    "hordes of the 21st century", implying Russian troops that invaded
    Georgia in August 2008. "Georgia fought and Georgia will continue
    fighting," he said, noting that "for the first time in our history
    we can say that Georgia is not alone.

    The whole civilized world is with Georgia", and compared Georgia's
    "struggle for freedom" with "a struggle between justice and injustice,
    between a major brutal force and a small but unbeaten nation, which
    is clenched together as a fist. This is a struggle between David
    and Goliath," he said. Saakashvili noted that the "brutal force and
    these new hordes that entered Georgia decided to start the revival of
    Russian imperialism from Georgia", stressing that "not only Russian
    imperialism will be unable to win a victory in Georgia, but the Russian
    imperial idea will be buried in Georgia once and for all. The empire
    cannot revive, as Georgia will resist this," he said, pledging that
    "Georgia will create a very beautiful and successful united country,
    and Georgia, its multiethnic society, will certainly prevail together
    with Europe and the rest of the civilized world". The following
    is the text of Saakashvili's speech broadcast live by the Georgian
    Public Broadcaster (Channel One) on 1 September; subheadings have
    been inserted editorially:

    I am addressing the whole of Georgia, our citizens of all
    ethnicities. I am addressing Azerbaijani Georgians, Armenian Georgians,
    Jewish Georgians, Abkhaz Georgians, and our Ossetians. I am addressing
    people of all ethnicities from all regions [of Georgia].

    Georgia on frontline of struggle for freedom

    Up to now, we have been proud of Georgia being a big nation, because
    it survived millennia and innumerable conquerors, preserving its
    nationality, statehood, and religion. Today, we can tell the entire
    world that we are proud of our history, but we are most of all proud
    of the present time, when Georgia is united as never before. More
    than a million Georgians are on the streets today. [Applause; people
    chanting "Misha! Misha!"]

    This is the biggest gathering of people since [several words unclear],
    velvet revolutions took place in Europe, and the Baltic nations stood
    against the Russian and Soviet imperialism in the 1990s. Then too,
    we saw hundreds of thousands of people, as well as bright eyes. Never
    before have so many people assembled. Georgia is on the frontline of
    the struggle for freedom again. We are fortifying the frontline of
    freedom. [Applause; people chanting "Misha! Misha!"]

    My dear people! The Georgians closed their united strong chain
    today. I would like to tell you that, several months ago, I visited
    Mount Athos, the holy soil of Athos in Greece and saw the hauberk
    of Tornike Eristavi [10th-century Georgian nobleman and outstanding
    military leader, who founded a monastery on Mount Athos]. I had
    the opportunity and the honour to see and touch the hauberk of this
    worthy patriot of ours. A new hauberk, which is big and strong as
    never before, is being woven of this Georgian chain today. It is a
    hauberk for Georgia, Europe, and freedom. [Applause; people chanting
    "Misha! Misha!"]

    Georgia standing united against "hordes of 21st century"

    We stopped the hordes [Russian troops] moving towards
    Tbilisi. Previously, Georgia survived Tamerlane's numerous invasions,
    as well as invasions by many most dangerous conquerors. The first
    line for the protection of civilization, freedom, and independence
    was in Georgia. Today, when the hordes of the 21st century came to
    Georgia as in the past, Georgia is standing united. Georgia fought
    and Georgia will continue fighting. Georgia is united. [Applause;
    people chanting "Georgia! Georgia!"]

    My dear people! I would like to tell you that not only our citizens
    of various ethnicities are in this chain, but also Davit the Builder
    [regarded as the most successful Georgian king - reigned in 1089-1125],
    [5th-century Georgian King] Vakhtang Gorgasali, and Sulkhan-Sana
    Orbeliani [1658-1725 - Georgian nobleman and diplomat, who tried to
    gain European states' support for Georgia against Muslim powers],
    who wanted Georgia not to remain alone. For the first time in our
    history we can say that Georgia is not alone. The whole civilized
    world is with Georgia. Our struggle for freedom is a struggle between
    justice and injustice, between a major brutal force and a small
    but unbeaten nation, which is clenched together as a fist. This is
    a struggle between David and Goliath. Like St George defeated the
    unjust emperor with his spiritual strength and firmness, although the
    emperor had an innumerable army, Georgia will also win a victory in
    this unequal but very noble struggle. It will win a victory for our
    future and the future of the entire free world. [Applause]

    Georgia to build "humane society"

    I would like to say that not only our struggle will not stop and the
    chain will not disperse today, but it will grow and expand, because
    Georgia has a long way to travel ahead. The struggle does not end
    today. A big struggle is starting today. A struggle for uniting
    and building a new country, which will be much more beautiful,
    successful, modern, and civilized, which our future generations,
    our great grandsons, and the rest of the world will be happy to
    see. Our struggle is for taking care of all people, who have become
    homeless. Some time ago, I met Mrs Mediko Jikia, who is a displaced
    person from Sukhumi. She is not allowed to go to Sukhumi just because
    she is an ethnic Georgian. Her husband and children were killed
    in Sukhumi. She was here together with her grandsons. None of such
    people will remain without homes and without being taken care of,
    because Georgia's further development is impossible without taking
    care of, supporting, and aiding Mrs Jikia and people like her. We
    should first and foremost be a humane society, which takes care of
    the weak and vulnerable.

    Our struggle continues and this is not a struggle for Georgia
    alone. This brutal force and these new hordes that entered Georgia
    decided to start the revival of Russian imperialism from Georgia. I
    would like to tell them and the rest of the world on your behalf
    that not only Russian imperialism will be unable to win a victory
    in Georgia, but the Russian imperial idea will be buried in Georgia
    once and for all. The empire cannot revive, as Georgia will resist
    this. [Applause]

    We are proud of the present. We are proud that we are united as
    never before. If you allow me, I would like to declare 1 September
    day of Georgia's unity, when Georgia is standing united as never
    before. [Applause; people chanting "Georgia! Georgia!"]

    Tbilisi "new gate of freedom"

    I would like to tell all freedom-loving nations that are standing
    beside us and Europe: take a look at this ocean of people and more
    than a million of our citizens of all ethnicities. It is time now for
    Europe to extend its hand to us. Take a look at the European flags
    flying here. We are the country of the Golden Fleece and Argonauts. We
    are an ancient country of Christian civilization. We are a magnificent
    example of unity and joint life of all ethnic and religious groups. We
    are a unique example of good-neighbourly relations, brotherhood,
    and peace. At the same time, as never before, the fate of Europe
    and civilization, the gates of freedom, and the problem of freedom
    are being decided in Tbilisi, which is a new boundary. Tbilisi is
    a new gate of freedom, which the enemy of freedom will be unable to
    break. Freedom is starting its great upsurge here in Tbilisi, Georgia,
    from Freedom Square and under the guidance of St George, who is here
    in front of us [reference to St George's monument erected on Freedom
    Square]. [Applause; people chanting "Georgia! Georgia!"]

    Sisters and brothers! My dear people! My compatriots! I would
    like to address everyone. I would like to address the rest of the
    world. Georgia was attacked in a very unjust manner. Hundreds of
    thousands of Georgians and people of other ethnicities - Ukrainians,
    Jews, Estonians, Russians, Abkhaz, and Ossetians - were evicted from
    their homes just because they wanted to be united and free and just
    because they wanted to live in a normal democratic country. I would
    like to tell everyone that this injustice will be unable to win a
    victory. I would like to tell about 500,000 people of all ethnicities
    displaced from Abkhazia that this injustice will be unable to win
    a victory. We will without fail return to our homes. I would like
    to tell people evicted from Tskhinvali that injustice cannot win
    a victory and we will without fail return to our homes. We will
    evict injustice and the brutal force, together with the rest of
    the world. Through our peaceful struggle and our standing together,
    our calmness, firmness, democracy, and freedom, we will definitely
    defeat those, who are afraid of freedom as of plague, who want to
    enslave freedom-loving nations, who want to build new walls in Europe,
    and who want to see a new Berlin wall in Georgia. No new walls can be
    erected in Georgia. We will stand together and we will do all we can
    to prevent Georgia and Europe from being returned to the thick gloom,
    to the lack of freedom, and to the era of violence, which we have got
    out of. We will definitely reach the place of safety. We, the Georgian
    people, will stand hand in hand with other nations in the world and
    will without fail reach the place of safety together. [Applause]

    Georgia enjoys broad support throughout world

    My dear people! I would like to welcome all the nations standing beside
    us. I would like to welcome the Ukrainians, Azerbaijanis, Armenians,
    the Baltic countries, the United States, the EU, France, which is the
    EU president, Germany, whose chancellor came here and supported us at
    the very beginning, and all those who are standing on European squares
    at this moment - in Stockholm, Munich, Berlin, London, and Prague. I
    would like to welcome the former Czech president, legendary Vaclav
    Havel, who declared his solidarity with us. All of us together will
    wave here in Georgia the flag of what Havel has initiated. [Applause]

    I want to greet our compatriots who are left in Russia and tell them:
    do not be afraid of anything. You have seen that nothing could scare
    Georgia. Freedom and common sense will prevail. I want to tell everyone
    that Georgia is no-one's enemy, nor is it the enemy of the Russian
    people. But we are an enemy of everyone, who crosses our border,
    who bombs our towns and who constantly tries to destroy our freedom
    and trample our honour and all principles of freedom underfoot. We
    will always resist these people.

    "Peaceful resistance" to continue

    I want to tell everyone that as long as there is one occupier on this
    side of the Psou [River dividing Georgia and Russia in Abkhazia],
    as long as there is one occupier on this side of the Roki [tunnel
    connecting South Ossetia with Russia's North Ossetia], as long as our
    people are not allowed to return to their homes, as long as people
    are being detained, killed and humiliated in every way, Georgia will
    not stop resisting, Georgia will never surrender, Georgia will never
    fold up its five-cross flag. [Applause]

    We will continue our peaceful resistance in our towns, our villages,
    and our streets. We will stand together and we will say: violence
    shall not prevail, imperialism shall not prevail, and all insults
    to freedom will ultimately fail. Our dignity shall not be trampled
    underfoot. Our historic flag, the five-cross flag we are so proud
    of, which is also the flag of Europe and which is now a symbol of
    unbreakableness and standing together for the world, for Europe, for
    civilization, and for freedom, shall forever fly and forever oppose
    violence, forever oppose the enemies of freedom, forever oppose those
    who wish to subdue the rest of the world and trample it underfoot. Long
    live our battle for freedom! [Applause]

    And I want to tell everyone that Georgia is not a country that does not
    appreciate other ethnic groups. Our wealth is in our ethnic diversity,
    our wealth is in the fact that our greatest king, Davit the Builder,
    would go to synagogues and mosques in addition to of course pray in
    church. For many centuries, we have been praying in our churches, for
    many centuries we have been going to synagogues, for many centuries
    we have been going to mosques and for many centuries we have spoken
    in different languages and dialects, but nonetheless the Georgian
    people has existed as a single entity for several thousand of years,
    as a single unit that today has stood up for the whole world to see
    and is asking the world for help and support. [Applause]

    And when people of all ethnicities gather together, when people of
    all confessions gather together, when our past and our present gather
    together so that we all together can go towards the future, when our
    national soul has been revived as never before, when our unity sets an
    example for the rest of the world, we must tell everyone that Georgia
    will keep fighting, Georgia will keep fighting peacefully for its
    reunification. Georgia will never again fall to its knees. Georgia
    will stand fully upright, Georgia will create a very beautiful and
    successful united country, and Georgia, its multiethnic society,
    will certainly prevail together with Europe and the rest of the
    civilized world.

    I want to greet our warriors. I want to greet those who spilt blood
    and fell for Georgia. I want to greet representatives of all political
    groups, who today are standing together here in Georgia. We are not
    divided into politicians [of different camps], we are not divided
    into the government and the opposition, we are not divided according
    to our blood type, we all share the same beating heart, we all want
    most of all to give our children, our future generations a normal
    and peaceful country so that they can live in humane conditions and
    to be allowed to develop and integrate with Europe, live like people,
    as we have dreamt of doing for so long. And no-one will ever be able
    to return us to where we were before and from which we have emerged
    with difficulty; we barely managed to cross this Rubicon.

    So I want to tell you: all of us will stand together, all of us will
    be steadfast, all of us will be strong, all of us will be successful
    and all of us will be victorious. Long live united, free, independent,
    strong, European, and victorious Georgia!
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