Hundreds of women marched from Tbilisi’s central Liberty Square to the residence of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Russia-friendly oligarch and de facto leader of Georgia’s ruling political party, Georgian Dream (GD) on the afternoon of November 24. 

This was the latest in a string of opposition and civil society protests to challenge the October 26 general election result, which returned GD for a fourth term in power, and demand a fresh round of voting under international supervision. However, the Women’s Movement action came with the new angle, as protesters dragged suitcases and carried large bags to highlight Georgia’s acute issue of mass emigration. 

Nearly 25% of Georgians live abroad, with many women in particular being forced out by economic hardship resulting from low wages and lack of job opportunities. The problem looks set to worsen against the backdrop of the disputed October election and an increasingly illiberal style of governance by the ruling party.  

"The suitcases symbolise a mass exodus from the country as a result of the government’s actions,” the organisers wrote on their Facebook page. 

“Emigration remains the most urgent issue in Georgia … Due to poverty and lack of opportunities, families are falling apart, and generations are growing up in loneliness and despair. In the wake of rigged elections and a weakened democracy, the country is facing the threat of another large-scale wave of emigration," the post continued.

Representatives of the Georgian Women’s Movement, which organised the action, led participants through Tbilisi’s downtown Sololaki district towards the oligarch’s heavily guarded glass palace, known for housing live sharks and a billion-dollar art collection, which sits atop a hill overlooking the Georgian capital. 

On reaching their destination, the crowd of demonstrators was met by dozens of police. The women staged a spontaneous performance, put their suitcases on the ground, blowing whistles and chanting “Bidzina leave, we are staying!”, before symbolically throwing their suitcases and bags into a large pile on the ground at the feet of the police cordon. 

“We are not leaving our country to the oligarchs. Let [Ivanishvili] pack his things and go back to Russia!” protesters chanted, drawing on the widespread speculation about Ivanishvili’s ties to the Kremlin, which appear to be inspiring GD’s recent wave of authoritarian legislation.

Meanwhile, parallel rallies were taking place in Tbilisi. In the central Vake region, protesting students and lectures marched south from Ilia State University to Tbilisi State University (TSU), demanding a second round of elections and freedom of education. Representatives of the cultural sphere, heading north up Rustaveli Avenue, converged with the student protesters outside TSU.

These actions precede what are set to be the most crucial days in Georgia since the “foreign agent law” protests in spring this year which drew hundreds of thousands of people.

Large-scale demonstrations led by Georgia’s opposition forces are scheduled to begin on the evening of November 24, ahead of the first session of the newly election GD parliament, which is scheduled to convene at midday on November 25. Protesters plan to gather near the parliament building at 9pm to await further instructions by opposition leaders, who have declared they will not enter the parliament and intend to attempt to block the parliament from sitting. 

As darkness fell on the Georgian capital on the evening of November 24, many were gearing up to fight for their democratic rights against a regime they see as increasingly authoritarian.