TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th February, 2021) Georgia's opposition members are driving in columns through Tbilisi toward the prison, where recently-detained politician Nika Melia is being held, to show their support and solidarity, some of the participants told Sputnik on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the police stormed the office of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party and detained its leader based on the decision by the Tbilisi City Court.
"Our performative procession has begun. We will drive through the city's central streets and reach the Rustavi prison, where they put Nika Melia. This event is a sign of support and solidarity," one activist said.
At the same time, the protest is being hindered by an earlier snowfall, which resulted in protesters getting stuck in traffic jams.
According to a statement from the UNM, the opposition is also organizing a march through Shota Rustaveli Avenue and a protest outside of parliament on Friday.
Before his detention, Melia was briefly arrested for leading protests back in June 2019 and later released on 30,000 Georgian lari ($9,063) bail. The politician was forced to wear a monitoring bracelet but removed it publicly during another wave of opposition protests, which erupted in November 2020 against the general election results. This forced the court to revise the conditions of Melia's release and impose a new bail, totaling 40,000 lari. The UNM chairman has refused to follow the court's orders.
