Shukruti Residents to Continue Protest in Front of Parliament in Tbilisi

9 days ago, the protesters resorted to an extreme measure and began a hunger strike. Amiran Shekiladze, Giorgi Bitsadze, Jumber Tsutskiridze, Zviad Papidze, and Jambul Macharashvili have even sewn their mouths shut.

"We sent an official letter to the local government, the central government, and the parliament, but unfortunately, we received no response from anyone. In 2019, we set up a protest tent for the first time, and since then, we have been unsuccessfully asking for the central government’s involvement in this process. The government refuses to take responsibility. On Wednesday, September 11, we will come to the capital and gather on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the Parliament, hoping that this will somehow allow us to make our voices heard by the central government," said Giorgi Neparidze, a resident of Shukruti.

On August 24, residents of Shukruti, whose homes are being destroyed due to the activities of the Georgian Manganese company, attempted to organize a protest march in Tchorvila, the home village of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the country’s informal ruler. They wanted to convey to Ivanishvili that they are being oppressed by a company with close government ties and are fighting against the system. Protesters were met by specially mobilized individuals and hundreds of police officers at the entrance to Chorvila, preventing them from entering Ivanishvili’s village.

Thirty families living in Shukruti, beneath whose houses the mine operates and where Georgian Manganese extracts manganese, have been protesting for nearly six months. Their homes and yards are being destroyed, and there are now sinkholes nearly two kilometers long in the village. The affected families are demanding an objective assessment of the damage from the company and adequate compensation. Since the start of the protest, the Shukruti mine has remained closed. The company has repeatedly tried to resume operations by using physical force and involving the police but has failed. At the company’s request, an investigation was launched against the protesters, and three of them - Giorgi Neparidze, Roman Megrelishvili, and Malkhaz Labadze - were charged with criminal offenses. Five protesters were also fired. The contractor for Georgian Manganese sued the Shukruti residents in court, requesting a ban on the protest at the mine, which the Sachkheri court granted. Despite this, the protest continues. Recently, the company filed another lawsuit, demanding the seizure of the protesters' property and more than 5 million GEL in damages from them.