To rig or not to rig? That is the question in Georgia

May 10, 2008

Thousands of people gathered on May 1, in a small alley in front of the Central Election Commission headquarters. The windows of the building were shut, protected by bars, curtains closed, with only a few curious heads peeping through. As opposition leaders sought entry to the building, police officers were quickly overwhelmed. Between protesters, journalists and police officers things turn sour in minutes. MP Levan Gachechiladze, former presidential candidate and leader of the United Opposition, the 9 party opposition coalition, was pinned to the ground by police officers and beaten up. The scuffle prevented the opposition from entering the building. Gachechiladze then personally tied up two boards on one of the windows before symbolically nailing them with a hammer, which he eventually threw at the police.

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