Students Stage Mass Strike to Demand Conscription in Response to Russian Law

On May 12, at the end of the day, students of Tbilisi State Medical University gathered in front of the school and took an oath:

"We swear to protect the health of our compatriots to the best of our abilities; We swear to uphold the freedom won by the blood of our ancestors at any cost; We swear to defend the motherland and its values with our lives if necessary; We swear to cherish our language, heritage, faith, and unity as the most precious treasures of our hearts; We swear not to soil our white coats with a Russian boot; We swear never to seek assistance from Russian doctors; We swear to proudly represent you in Europe, clad in our white coats."

Today, as the country faces a historic choice and the Russian Law initiated by the government undermines Georgia's European integration, the future generation believes they should stand where the fate of the country is being decided.

"Despite the silence of the administration and student self-government of Tbilisi State Medical University until now, we, the students, future doctors and medical personnel, have been standing among you in white coats since the beginning of the protests, guarding the citizens and the state. We believe that we are obliged to keep our hand on the pulse of Georgia's European future. Therefore, we refuse to attend lectures and starting tomorrow, Monday, we announce a strike. As always, we will stand in white coats on Rustaveli Avenue to protect the honor, future, and European perspective of our country," said the students of the Medical University.

Starting from May 13, a portion of the students of Tbilisi State University will be taking an oath. They were the first to publicly declare that they can no longer remain in the classrooms.

"We refuse to silently comply with the dictatorial process unfolding in the country. We have decided to boycott the classrooms starting Monday. From 9 o'clock in the morning, we will stand on Rustaveli Avenue to protest against the attempt to pass the legislative initiative of the Putinist dictatorship," the students said. They called on the lecturers to make an "appropriate decision," to declare a general strike, and to stand on Rustaveli Avenue together with the students.

Currently, the following institutions are joining the strike: Ilia State University, Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), University of Georgia, Alte University, Tbilisi Art Academy, Caucasus University, Batumi Shota Rustaveli University, University of Business and Technology, National University of Georgia, Black Sea International University, Free and Agricultural University, and Theater and Film State University students.

About 80 lecturers from Tbilisi State University have expressed their support for the students. They stated that if the students decide to halt the educational process, they will also support this decision. Additionally, the lecturers are calling on the university's rector, Jaba Samushia, to openly and clearly state his position on the Russian Law, violence, and attempts to intimidate students and professors. They are requesting that measures be taken to ensure that protesting students, as well as academic and administrative staff, do not encounter any problems.

Georgian Dream is set to proceed with the third and final reading of the Russian Law on so-called Foreign Agents tomorrow and the day after. On Monday, it will be deliberated and supported at the meeting of the Committee on Legal Issues, and on Tuesday, the law is scheduled to be brought to the plenary session. Citizens have already gathered near the parliament building and intend to remain there until morning.