(2 Nov 2007) SHOTLIST
1. Wide top shot of anti-Saakashvili protesters heading towards the Parliament
2. Various top shots of protesters heading towards the Parliament
3. Mid of crowd of protesters walking
4. Various of crowd heading towards the Parliament
5. Wide of anti-Saakashvili protesters gathered in front of Parliament building
6. Mid of flags
7. Close up of banner
8. Mid of rally
9. Mid of Goga Khaindrava, a former government minister turned opposition leader, addressing crowd
10. Mid of protest rally
11. SOUNDBITE (Georgian) Gia Tortladze, opposition leader:
"We will not disperse until our demands are fulfilled. People will not disperse, rallies will continue in the regions and all these will lead to non-obedience, nationwide non-obedience."
12. Mid shot of anti-Saakashvili rally
STORYLINE
Tens of thousands of opposition supporters rallied on Friday in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, accusing President Mikhail Saakashvili of leading the country away from democracy.
The rally is the latest protest against Saakashvili, a stalwart US ally, who faces his worst political crisis since he was propelled to power in the 2003 uprising known as the Rose Revolution.
Opposition leaders at Friday's rally said their main demand was the reversal of a decision to move back next year's parliamentary election by several months.
People from various regions of the country started to fill the square in front of Parliament early on Friday morning. Some protesters even arrived late on Thursday night.
Political turmoil in the former Soviet nation was sparked by sensational allegations against Saakashvili by his former defence minister, Irakli Okruashvili, who was effectively sacked late last year.
Okruashvili, a hawkish, one-time Saakashvili supporter, was arrested but then freed on multimillion-dollar bail last month after he retracted allegations accusing Saakashvili of corruption and a murder plot.
The accusations and arrest set off large protest rallies in the Georgian capital.
The Interior Ministry said on Thursday that Okruashvili flew to Germany on Wednesday for unspecified medical treatment.
Opposition leaders claimed that he was forcibly put on the flight so he could not lead the opposition protests.
Opposition activists claimed that Georgian police had set up roadblocks in several parts of the country to keep anti-government protesters from travelling to Tbilisi for the demonstration.
The Georgian parliament last year approved Saakashvili's proposal to hold the next parliamentary vote in the autumn of 2008 instead of the spring.
Saakashvili also proposed moving the presidential vote, scheduled for January 2009, and holding the two elections simultaneously as a way of saving money.
The opposition has called the proposal a ploy by Saakashvili to hold the presidential election early, before his falling popularity has an effect at the polls.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
