Apathetic fascism versus Revolucia (episode 3)
A Georgian Dream demonstration and the explanations of a young activist teacher at university
Russian influence, election monitoring, election meddling, Foreign Interference, propaganda, disinformation, European policy, Transparency, democracy… In the world of OSINT and Disinformation, we are using all these words in every report, study, research, briefing or LinkedIn posts. But in Georgia, it was really happening, with real people, all of this and all at once. It would happen not on the internet, not on networks, not AI or Twitter, but on billboards in the streets, in physical polling stations, in a real parliament, in demonstrations.
So, we went to spend two weeks in Tbilisi, one before the elections, one after. This is a subjective view, in multi-episodes, of what I saw and understood.
This is a tale about European style democracy fighting Russian style authoritarianism in a small country at the crossroad of four continents.
Thanks, Eva Bauchau, for context, expertise, contacts and on-site support. Thanks, Claire Pershan, for re-reading
(This is the third episode. Previous episode here)
The Patriarchate had its own position. A neutral position, reminding everybody that they would not engage in politics themselves, but that they were in support of “peace” and traditional family values. In other words, a not-so-subtle copy paste of the Georgian Dream program. Ten days before, the Government had just passed decrees that would give land to the church for one symbolic Georgian Lira.
Safe and sheltered among the young Tbilisian gothsters (gothic-hipsters), one could doubt that this kind of message would have any effect. Still, right next to Fabrika was a Russian orthodox church, and you could see people crossing themselves when passing by the same street.
Leader of Abkhazia, a separatist region (given to Putin to “avoid a war”) had announced the closing of the border, allegedly for fear of the opening of the famous “second front”.
Characteristic of totalitarian propaganda, the story is never really a lie, because the totalitarian state has the means to transform reality according to its needs. (This one I learned from Hannah Arendt). And indeed, at the moment, the Georgian Dream needed a second front.
On my side of the river, there was not a single 41 poster that had not been torn out. On the other side, it was a bit more complicated. The Georgian Dream posters would fill any existing advertising spots. Billboards, bus shelters, buses…
As soon as I crossed the bridge, cops everywhere. One sees them even more clearly with their big fluorescent stripe on the uniform.
I’m at “Lolita’s”, in the middle of Tbilisian youth, smoking cigs and waiting for 7pm. It is the time to when the demonstration of the Georgian dreamers was postponed. It was initially supposed to happen at 4pm, and then, and then… Demonstrations in this country happen at 7pm.
They brought buses from all over the country. That is how one does when one is right wing. Eva thinks the outnumbering number of cops was for that reason. I don’t think so. We are 20 minutes’ walk away from Liberty square (the one with the statue of St George slaying the dragon and that makes me think the name of the country have something to do with Saint George).
20 minutes’ walk it is much, and quite hard to fill with demonstrators, even with chartering buses from all over the country.
That being said, this looks like there are many buses…
Many, many buses. Like many…
Of course cops were there for the Georgian Dream rally and the streets are packed…
Ambiance: apathetic fascism. They know they are outnumbering, so no need to do any effort on chants and slogans. Therefore, there is no chants and no slogans. Everybody walks calmly and with only the sound of little groups conversing as a background noise.
This is clearly a fight about generations. The average age here is Caucasian, male, over 55. It is impossible to get to the liberty square, too many people. They are old, and firmly convinced they own the street, so everybody jostles everyone. A giant “not fascist but” washing machine.
Not a single European flag. But the Georgian dream flag is composed of letters and stars in circle on a blue background. From afar, it gives a good illusion. (Yes, it is the very same deep blue than the EU flag, obviously).
I pour back. Here I will no longer pass and the metro exit discharges, at regular intervals, flows of old Caucasian males and females, forcing their way by pushing the old Caucasian males and females, who are forcing their way pushing the old Caucasian males and females, who are forcing their way by pushing.
Three flows: One flow from the metro to the street, one flow from liberty square trying to get out and one flow to liberty square trying to get in. I take the flow that flows back, pushing and getting pushed. Not one argues. The pushing is just normal. The street belongs to them, so to each one of them, so to everyone.
Next to the parliament, the sagacious organisers thought of installing giant screens so everyone could follow the speeches.
It starts with the national anthem (I just guess because I don’t know it yet). Even this one sounds European in the melody. No one sings. No one. They have their mouth close and some have their hands on the heart but no one is singing. For a French used to bawl the Marseillaise every time there is a football goal, this looks strange. Fascists and national anthem, it is always a strange love hate relationship.
Extremely little applause. Even though the orator pushes good fascist emphasis in his speech. (I give him a 7/10 on my fascistometer). But when he marks his pauses, it takes the crowd a good 3 seconds to start applauding feebly. For the second speaker, the apathy is nearly whole. As much the speaker than the public.
I will learn after that a good part of the public is here under duress, blackmailed by the government that threatened to take away their public jobs if they don’t show up.
(Here is oc-media reporting about the rally for what the speaker said)
While I walk back on Rustaveli avenue I can see the average age climbing back as well.
I join Eva in a refuge restaurant. D. joins us.
She narrates the ridicule of one of Ivanishvili’s sons (the founder of Georgian Dream), and his very bad rap songs. I would learn later in RFI that it is one of these rap songs that closed the demonstration
(Maybe this one? )
At the bar with D. A hipster bar. She works at university, so she tells us about the attacks against the university. The government withholds the right to deliver diplomas (so they can deliver diplomas, but it won’t be recognised by the state).
She resists by postponing the mid-terms so her students can go to the demonstration and go to vote.
She also tells us about public servants in small remote towns, forced to come to the demonstration and to take a selfie there, or else lose their jobs. And real stories of people really losing their jobs for refusing to come to the rally.
Everybody seems to hate the government.
“Even the Taxi drivers!” It is D.’s thermometer. “You know how I start? I start to complain about holes in the road or traffic jams, like ‘oh no, they still haven’t fixed that’ and they immediately start to discharge.”
She loves to talk about politics, but she feels exhausted. It is not even about talking politics anymore, it is just about screaming “enough with Georgian Dream” as loud as you can, wherever, whenever.
“They changed the vote system to new voting machines, but they don’t explain it to people just to create confusion.” You don’t need to rig the elections in your favor. You just need to rig the elections, period. Once you created enough chaos and confusion, you can chose to recognise the results if you win or to contest them if you lose.
“They also try to suppress the votes by not opening voting station in Strasbourg for instance, so people would need to pay a trip to Paris.”
And there is the blackmail…
“I’m having families of people in prisons who came to tell me that they promised early release for the prisoners if the families would vote for Georgian Dream.”
D. notices that for this campaign, they did not even bother to make promises. Electoral campaigner not making any electoral promises this is uncommon.
“In 2012 still, Georgian Dream was making plenty of electoral promises. They were promising people a whole lot of things. Here, nothing. Only ‘if you don’t vote for us, this will be even worse’.”
Like an abusive parent.
These elections are much more than elections. It is a battle over democracy. The stake is to manage to win against the authoritarians. Both sides agreed on the battleground. Both choose their weapons. Popular vote against fraud and repression. The stake is not just to win the vote, the stake is literally to defeat Georgian Dream in spite of the fraud and the rigging. To let them use their mafia methods and still loose. It is not the vote of one side against the vote of the other side, it is democratic vote against cheat, rigging, corruption and repression.
Can democracy win over that?
If it passes, it is a definitive victory. By accepting these elections, even rigged, the opposition forced Georgian Dream to recognise its defeat if Georgian Dream loses. Difficult to contest a result that you falsified yourself. Everyone plays the election game in its own way. Democracy against dictatorship, but for everyone it will be the same vote that will be nearly impossible to contest.
After… Well after it will not be the vote that will be contested, it will directly be the power. Young people seem firmly convinced: revolution or exile.
That is if they win. If they lose it will be a celebration, but also the unknown.
I ask D. how one says “revolution” in Georgian:
“Revolucia”
She has sparkles in her eyes…