2007 Georgian demonstrations

2007 Georgian demonstrations
A demonstration in Tbilisi
Date	28 September – 25 November 2007
Location	Georgia
Caused by	Alleged political corruption Poverty Human rights violations Handling of the 2006 Ortachala prison riots Sandro Girgvliani murder case
Goals	Resignation of government Release of Irakli Okruashvili from prison Switch to a parliamentary system Establishment of a constitutional monarchy (some)
Methods	Demonstrations, civil disobedience, picketing of parliament
Resulted in	Peaceful protests suppressed by force Mikheil Saakashvili resigns; Early presidential election scheduled for 5 January 2008
Parties
United National Council National Forum Republican Party Conservative Party Freedom Georgia's Way On Our Own People's Party Movement for United Georgia Georgian Troupe Georgian Labour Party Government of Georgia Ministry of Internal Affairs Police of Georgia Constitutional Security Department Special Operative Department National Security Council
Lead figures
Badri Patarkatsishvili Irakli Okruashvili Gubaz Sanikidze Salome Zurabishvili Konstantine Gamsakhurdia Mikheil Saakashvili Zurab Nogaideli Vano Merabishvili

In 2007, a series of anti-government protests took place across Georgia. The demonstrations peaked on 2 November 2007, when 40,000–50,000^[1] people rallied in downtown Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia.^[2] People protested against the allegedly corrupt government of president Mikheil Saakashvili. Protests triggered by detention of Georgian politician Irakli Okruashvili on charges of extortion, money laundering, and abuse of office during his tenure as defense minister of the country^[3] were organized by the National Council, an ad hoc coalition of ten opposition parties, and financed by the media tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili.^[4] Demonstrations occurred both in September and November 2007 and were initially largely peaceful. The protests went downhill by 6 November 2007, but turned violent the next day when the police, using heavy-handed tactics, including tear gas and water cannon, unblocked Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi's main boulevard, dislodged the protesters from the territory adjoining to the House of Parliament, and prevented the demonstrators from resuming the protests. The government accused the Russian secret services of being involved in an attempted coup d'état and declared a nationwide state of emergency later that day which lasted until 16 November 2007.

On 8 November 2007, President Saakashvili announced a compromise solution to hold an early presidential election for 5 January 2008. He also proposed to hold a referendum in parallel to snap presidential elections about when to hold parliamentary polls – in spring as pushed for by the opposition parties, or in late 2008.^[5]

It is said to have been the worst political crisis in Georgia since the Rose Revolution in 2003 that brought Saakashvili's government to power in the first place.^[2]