(9 Apr 2009)
1. Wide top shot of Georgian opposition rally outside Parliament buildings calling for the resignation of Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili
2. Wide top shot of thousands of protesters marching down street
3. Mid top shot zoom in of protesters during demonstration
4. Top shot of protesters marching
5. Mid top shot of protesters carrying banner in front, waving flags during march
6. Close top shot of protesters and flags
7. Mid top shot of protesters forming a line
8. Wide top shot of protesters at the front of the demonstration with blue flags
9. Wide of rally outside Parliament building
STORYLINE:
Tens of thousands of protesters thronged the streets in front of Georgia's parliament in the capital Tbilisi on Thursday, calling for Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili to step down as the country's leader.
The protest is the largest opposition demonstration since Georgia's war with Russia last August.
The opposition blames Saakashvili, a US-educated lawyer who has built close ties to Washington, for the conflict with Russia.
Opposition leaders say he cannot lead Georgia forward because of his antagonistic relationship with Moscow.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said he would refuse to deal at all with Saakashvili.
But Saakashvili has vowed to serve out his term, which ends in 2013.
The protest is being held on the 20th anniversary of a deadly anti-Soviet demonstration that galvanised Georgia's fight for self-determination.
Earlier on Thursday, Saakashvili made an unexpected visit to a memorial honouring the victims of the 1989 demonstration, located in front of parliament.
Georgian police forces have promised not to intervene in the opposition protest, but some residents in the city feared the protest could lead to violence.
Ahead of the demonstration, there was little visible police presence.
Saakashvili called on Tuesday for talks with the opposition but was rebuffed.
Some Georgians continue to support Saakashvili, who has presided over substantial economic growth, but for others, Saakashvili was discredited by defeat in the five-day war which set back his goal of regaining control over two Russian-backed separatist regions: South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть