Batumi protesters demand to cancel lockdown

The severe restrictions introduced in Georgia due to coronavirus have deprived many people of their earnings; they have nothing to feed their families, participants in the protest action in Batumi have claimed.

According to the United National Movement (UNM) Party, the action on November 29 was 2000 people strong.

Oppositional parties have opened a "freedom area" and a people's Mayoralty in Batumi. They have stated that they will try to help people with solving their problems by using this platform. "We have lawyers; they will advise free of charge," the "News-Georgia" has quoted Alexander Milorava, an activist of the "Lelo" Party, as saying.

"Our demands are still the parliamentary re-elections and release of political prisoners. They are added with the demands to stop the lockdown and lift the ban on public transport," said Djelal Kikava, an UNM activist.

Residents of neighbouring villages have joined the fixed-route taxi drivers, who demand the resumption of public transport.

"I have children at home; they want to eat every day, but we have to stay in the village and cannot go anywhere," Irakli Baramidze, a resident of Keda, has complained.

"The quarantine will lead nowhere – the epidemic is already out of control. The only thing the authorities could do was to improve the patient distribution system. People with coronavirus symptoms gather in front of test centres and spread the infection further, but they receive no servicing," Levan Antadze, a former Minister of Public Health of Adjara, has stated.