Protests regarding the Russo-Georgian War

During the Russo-Georgian War, demonstrations were held all over the world to protest the Russian invasion of Georgia. Manifestations were also held in support of Russia and the separatists of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Pro-Georgian demonstrations received the largest turnout in the Baltic States, where thousands marched in protest, whereas large pro-Russia camps were observed in Russia and Serbia.

Russo-Georgian War
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Protests against Russian involvement in Georgia
CountriesProtestPhoto
 ArmeniaGeorgian university students studying in Armenia, Georgian students vacationing in Armenia and young Armenians born in Georgia staged their own rally of support for Georgia in front of the Russian embassy in Yerevan. They also said that only the Russian point of view was propagated to Armenians – from Russian news sources directly and by Armenian newscasters using only Russian sources. The actions were not welcomed by the local authorities. On 11 August 2008, the students said that they were asked to leave the country.[1]
 AustriaA rally was organized in Vienna.[2]
 AzerbaijanOn 11 August 2008, protest was held in front of Russian embassy in Azerbaijan against Russian invasion of Georgia. The police dispersed the action.[3]
 BelarusOn 11 August 2008 the rally of solidarity with Georgia was held by the Young Front near the Russian Embassy in Minsk, Belarus. Fifteen activists of the organization gathered near the Embassy with streamers: "Stop aggression", "Russia-Georgia: war with peacekeeping goals?" "One sixth part of land – is it not enough?" Protesters managed to pass the petition to officers of the embassy. The picket lasted for about 10 minutes, until Police officers armed with machine guns arrived and broke up the rally, wringing the hands of protesters and detaining protesters Ilya Shyla, Ivan Shyla, Andrei Tychyna and Lyudvisya Atakulava. As a sign of protest, activists sat on the ground. As a result, policemen carried the activists to police car in arms.[2][4]
 BelgiumOn 11 August 2008, meetings against Russian military presence in Georgia have been held in Brussels. About 200 people took part. On the same evening 300 Georgians organized a meeting in another part of Brussels, near the Permanent Mission of Russia to the EU.[2][5]
 CanadaOn 13 August 2008, about 30 supporters of Georgia held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Ottawa.[6]
 People's Republic of ChinaOn 11 August 2008, a group of Georgians held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Beijing.[7]
 Czech RepublicAbout three hundred opponents of Russian military operations in the Caucasus, Georgians and Czechs, protested outside the Russian embassy in Prague on 12 August 2008.[8]
 EstoniaOn 11 August 2008, citizens of Estonia took to the streets to support Georgia and express protest against Russia's actions in the conflict zone. According to local media, about 500 participants gathered on Town Hall Square in Tallinn.[2][9]
 FinlandOn 11 August 2008, a group of pro-Georgian demonstrators held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Helsinki.[10]
 FranceOn 10 August 2008, hundreds of pro-Georgian demonstrators held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Paris.[11]
 GermanyOn 12 August 2008, a group of pro-Georgian demonstrators held a protest in Berlin.[12]
 GeorgiaOn 12 August 2008, Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis alongside presidents of Poland, Ukraine, Estonia and Lithuania arrived in Georgia and took part in the mass rally in Tbilisi, to show solidarity with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.[13] The rally was held in front of the parliament and attended by nearly 150,000 people. The crowd responded enthusiastically to the Polish president's speech, chanting "Poland, Poland", "Friendship, Friendship" and "Georgia, Georgia".[14] Godmanis, Yushchenko, Kaczynski, Ilves and Adamkus held their joined hands aloft to cheers from spectators in the Georgian national colours of red and white, waving flags of the US, the European Union, France, Estonia, Lithuania and Ukraine.[15] "I am a Georgian," said Estonian president Ilves.[16]

On 1 September 2008, tens of thousands formed a human chain in Tbilisi and also in other towns of Georgia to protest the Russian military presence in the country. Georgian officials said it was the biggest protest in the ex-Soviet republic's history.[17][18]

 GreeceOn 12 August 2008, three rallies were held against Russia. About 300 persons took part in the largest protest in Thessaloniki.[19]

About 500 pro-Georgian demonstrators marched in Athens in early September 2008.[17]

 HungaryOn 15 August 2008, a few hundred people gathered in front of the Russian embassy in Budapest, to protest against Russia's military operations in Georgia. The demonstration was organized by Fidelitas, the youth branch of the Fidesz party, and the Federation of Young Christian Democrats.[20]
 IcelandOn 12 August 2008, in Iceland's capital Reykjavík, Lithuanians living in Iceland protested in front of the Russian embassy against the invasion of Georgia. Their spokesperson told the newspaper Fréttablaðið, "Lithuanians were in a similar position two decades ago and therefore Georgians have our complete compassion."[21][22]
 IsraelOn 9 August 2008, Israelis of Georgian descent protested against Russian intervention in Georgia in front of the Russian embassy in Tel Aviv.[23]
 ItalyOn 10 August 2008, pro-Georgian demonstrators living in Milan protested against Russian intervention in Georgia.[24][25]
 LatviaOn 11 August 2008, more than 2,000 pro-Georgian demonstrators took part in protest march in Riga. Protesters marched from the Freedom Monument to the Russian Embassy.[2][26]
On 13 August, seven persons organised a rally at the Russian Embassy. Participants were confronted by supporters of Russia.[27]
People also were asked to light candles to show support to civilians of Georgia at the Riga Castle during Riga City Festival, which was held on 15–17 August.[28]
 LithuaniaOn 13 August 2008, people gathered in Lithuania's capital Vilnius to protest Russia's invasion into Georgia and to support Georgia. People were also saying "Hands off Georgia!"[29]
On 13 August 2008, people protested near Russia's General Consulate in Klaipėda, Lithuania.[30]
On 14 August 2008, music festival Be2gether started in Lithuania with a rally to support Georgia.[31]
 MoldovaOn 11 August 2008, members of the Liberal Party of Moldova held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Chişinău.[32]
 NetherlandsOn 11 August 2008, pro-Georgian demonstrators in Netherlands protested against Russian intervention in Georgia in front of the Russian embassy in The Hague.[33]
 NorwayOn 11 August 2008, pro-Georgian demonstrators held a peaceful protest against Russia outside the Russian embassy in Oslo, Norway.[34]
 PolandOn 9 August 2008, around 100 people held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Warsaw, Poland.[35]
 PortugalOn 13 August 2008, a group of Georgians who live in Portugal held a protest in front of the Russian embassy in Lisbon.[36]
 RussiaOn 25 August 2008, the meeting was held near the Chistye Prudy station in Moscow. About 150 people, including Russian human rights activists, demonstrated against the war and Russian military presence in Georgia.[37]
 SpainOn 11 August 2008, a group of Georgians protested in front of the Russian embassy in Madrid.[38]
 SwedenOn 12 August 2008, a group of Georgians and Swedes protested in front of the Russian embassy in Stockholm.[39]
  SwitzerlandOn 11 August 2008, a group of pro-Georgian demonstrators protested in front of the Russian embassy in Geneva.[40]
 TurkeyOn 13 August 2008, a group of pro-Georgian demonstrators held a protest in Istanbul against the Russian occupation of Georgia. Turkish writer Fahrettin Çiloğlu also took part in a rally.[41]
 UkrainePeople gathered in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv, as well as Russian consulates throughout Ukraine. They were holding streamers: "Aggression against Georgia is aggression against Ukraine!", "Georgia today, Ukraine tomorrow?", "Putin+Medvedev=Hitler", and Ukrainian and Georgian flags.[2]
 United KingdomOn 10 August 2008, a group of pro-Georgians demonstrators protested in front of the Russian embassy in London.[42]
 United StatesOn 10 August 2008, in Georgia in the United States, more than 100 Georgian people, including Hawks [professional basketball] center Zaza Pachulia, gathered at Centennial Olympic Park at a peace rally.[43]

On 14 August 2008, people gathered at the UN headquarters and the Russian Consulate in New York City to protest against the presence of Russian forces in Georgia.[44]

Similar protests were made by people in support of Georgia in other US cities, including Chicago,[45][46] Seattle,[47] and Los Angeles.[48]

Protests supporting South Ossetia, Russia and/or Abkhazia
CountriesProtestPhoto
 BelgiumProtests were held in Brussels during the visit of the US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice.[49]
 EstoniaOn 14 August 2008, the pro-Russian group Nochnoy Dozor held a meeting in front of the Russian embassy to support Russia. Russian ambassador Nikolay Uspensky thanked them.[50]
 LatviaOn 13 August 2008 NGO Rodina and others organized a few hundred people to gather in front of the Russian embassy in Riga in support of Russia.[51]
 MoldovaPro-Russian demonstrations were held in front of the US embassy in the capital Chişinău where protesters held a banner that said "For South Ossetia. To Saakashvili and Bush – Hussein's destiny".[52]
 NetherlandsOn 12 August 2008, a group of Ossetians living in the Netherlands protested in The Hague to support South Ossetia and against Mikheil Saakashvili.[53]
 RussiaOn 8 August 2008, the mayor of Khasavyurt organized a rally to support South Ossetia.[54]
On 9 August 2008, the Ossetian diaspora in Moscow organised a meeting in front of the US embassy against Georgia's actions and their support from USA.[55]
On 12 August, more than 3,000 people in Makhachkala protested against Georgia and supported South Ossetia.[54]
On 12 August, the rallies were held against Georgia in Kemerovo and Khabarovsk.[19]
 SerbiaOn 13 August 2008, protests were held in center of Belgrade to support Russia. More than 500 people participated in the protests, where the major slogan was "Say no to war in Ossetia".[56]
On 14 August people came to the Russian embassy in Belgrade to sign a book of condolences for the South Ossetian victims. Russian Ambassador Aleksander Konuzin thanked the Serbian people and stated that he is very pleased because Serbs "did not fall for a propaganda scam, that is attempting to present an aggression on the part of the Georgian army against its own citizens as a conflict between Georgia and Russia" and added that "Russians will never go to war against Georgians".[57]
 South OssetiaIn late August, a concert was held in Tskhinvali in remembrance of the victims of the war. The concert was conducted by Valery Gergiev, an ethnic Ossetian conductor.[58]
 TransnistriaOn 8 August 2008, protesters condemned Georgian actions at the meeting held in the city of Tiraspol. Viktor Kostyrko, mayor of Tiraspol, claimed that with the help from Russia, war would be stopped.[59]
 TurkeyOn 13 August 2008, around 100 protesters gathered near the Georgian Consulate in Istanbul shouting slogans "Free Ossetia! Free Abkhazia!". Protesters condemned Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. They also spoke against Turkey's and the Turkish press's treatment of the war.[60]
 UkraineOn 12 August 2008, the Russian people protested against Georgia in Simferopol.[61]

See also

References
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