Emotions are running high in Georgia’s capital, where protesters over
the weekend took to the streets for a fifth day in a row. Violence broke out
late last week, as citizens unhappy with the ruling of the Georgian Dream party were spurred
into action by the appearance of a Russian official in the Georgian parliament.
The exceptional violence with which the protests were suppressed made headlines
worldwide. But beyond the troubling casualty figures—240 people wounded, two
blinded, and 53 still in the hospital—lies an equally momentous geopolitical
story: For as Russia, too, reacted to the protests, its disproportionate
response to its neighbors’ internal affairs hinted at Vladimir Putin’s
insecurities …read more
Source: The New Republic
