Protesters outside Georgian Public Broadcaster, January 29, 2025 (Paul Mazet)
Co-published on Paul Mazet’s Substack, The Stray European:
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“A space where ordinary people could meet each other and debate about what is happening in the country, that’s all we are asking for,” explains Eka Tsotsoria, a documentary filmmaker and editor in the country of Georgia.
Since November 30, 2024, demonstrators have gathered daily in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) in Tbilisi to “protest against State propaganda which has an extremely polarizing effect on society”. They ask the publicly-funded channel to respect its duties, to refrain from serving governmental narratives, and to offer air time to the protests.
The current anti-authoritarian and pro-European protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party began two days earlier, sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s postponement of Georgia’s accession process to the European Union until at least 2028.
With Georgian Dream’s enactment of the foreign agent law last year, the increase in repression of dissent, and signs of fraud in elections last October, political tensions were already high. The shift away from the EU, implying a move towards Russia, was the last straw, particularly as the governmental duty to achieve European integration is in the country’s Constitution.
With their local struggle, the protesters make the global case that the fight against authoritarianism starts with the one against propaganda.
“An Important Point of Resistance”
The decentralized movement pursues different self-organized initiatives, often representing specific social groups or emphasizing certain issues such as media manipulation.
Georgian Dream has carried out that manipulation, notably through Imedi TV, a popular channel with large audiences, especially in the countryside. State broadcasting served the party: the GPB is not “as much as Imedi TV”, says a protester named Thako, but the outlet is “still part of the propaganda”.
In 2022, Georgian Dream’s former Deputy Chairman, Vasil Maghlaperidze, became chairman of the GPB’s Board, raising alarms regarding conflict of interests. Critical political shows were cut off in summer 2024, supposedly because of technical issues when the newsroom moved to a new building. Coming just before the elections in October, the halt appeared to be premeditated.
From the first hours of the protests that started on November 28, those involved identified a gap between their experiences and what was being said on the GPB. The latter is “only talking about damaging things” when it is not “hiding” demonstrations, point out artists Giorgi and Giorgi.
The demonstrators decided to open a media-level struggle: acknowledging the strength of propaganda as well as its weakness when confronted by critical voices.
Success…and Victim of Success
The call to protest in front of GPB on November 30, 2024, only 48 hours after Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s inflammatory statement, rapidly spread across activist networks.
The swift action led to negotiations and ultimately an agreement. Airtime after the daily news program was allocated to guests, suggested by the demonstrators, representing different facets of the movement. It was included in an existing TV political show which previously featured only the usual Georgian Dream-affiliated speakers or, eventually, a few members of opposition parties which were now losing strength and legitimacy in the eyes of many Georgians.
For a limited time each evening throughout December, diverse members of civil society could discuss on TV the country’s political situation, grievances, neglected socio-economic issues, and expectations of the GPB. Participants took the opportunity to expose hosts for being gentle with government propaganda.
“It was one of the results we had”, rejoices Sergey Kancheli, a young activist.
And they were aiming for more. A daily protest remained outside the GPB’s building, demanding additional airtime and the management’s resignation.
“This talk show became widely spoken among the Georgian population”, says Tsotsoria. But after the holiday break for New Year, it returned without the voices from the civil movement.
GPB said outside persons choosing the guests posed a problem. Protesters were not convinced. For them, the reason for the U-turn was the challenge posed by those discussions to government narratives.
“What is more dangerous for propaganda than diverse voices arguing against it”, underlines Tsotsoria. “All of this on air was very dangerous for the ruling party.”
It was “the most logical on their side to make sure this show stops”, she summarizes.
“I Think It’s Possible!”
Outraged by the breach of the agreement, the daily gathering on the GPB’s doorsteps took on a new meaning: the restoration of airtime.
“We had it before”, remarks Kancheli, a regular protester. “It’s possible to get it back.” If the GPB is at the center of the struggle against propaganda, rather than a more disinformative channel such as Imedi TV, it is because demonstrators have a strong lever: “It is financed by us,” points out Giorgi.
Thako despairs to see her taxes financing a channel which supports the government, one she does not recognize because of the indications of fraud in the elections: “It’s the worst part.”
In the last days of January, the leaflet for a mass mobilisation at the GPB building circulated on online activist networks. The response: on the evening of January 29, the TV channel’s front pavement could not hold the ever-growing crowd, which soon blocked the road.
The long cortege later moved to Rustaveli Street, in front of the Georgian Parliament – the popular uprising’s beating heart, where people have spontaneously gathered, without coordinators nor leaders, for more than 100 days.
Tsotsoria, present at the GPB protest since the beginning, is happy to see many within the movement understanding that the “fight against propaganda is one of the most important aspects of the resistance”.
That in turn has contributed to the popular movement’s continuity. Kancheli cites the GPB demonstrations as part of “why people in Tbilisi did not stop in January”. In those gatherings, the activists could focus “on a little step”, as demonstrator Irakli labels it, building communities and fostering discussions.
The GPB protest has gradually become a key rallying point in Tbilisi, alongside Rustaveli Street.
Last month, the administration of Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University dispersed an 83-day sit-in, part of the national movement. Participating students received 5,000 GEL fines and faced (now-cancelled) administrative evictions. GPB’s doorsteps became “a platform to make their voice heard”, explains Mariam, one of the students.
Days later, they managed to get airtime on GPB. But the rector refused to join the TV set – “too afraid of speaking”, says Mariam – and engage in needed dialogue.
Towards a “Healthy Dialogue”
While evicted from the GPB, the civil debate is not far from the studios. Every evening, a homemade TV show, the “People’s Air”, takes place on the building’s doorstep.
Broadcast online, People’s Air tackles “discussions about the different social, political issues that we would love to see inside”, explains Tsotsoria. The alternative TV show brings diverse voices together and empowers overlooked Georgians such as ethnic minorities and residents from villages and outlying regions.
“Honestly, the dream is to create a space for healthy dialogue, also with people that might not be on the side of the protest”, declares Tsotsoria. “There is so much that unites around us”.
She recognizes that is a “wild dream”, considering divisions across Georgia, partly defined by media consumption. Some Georgians have lost hope in interacting with acquaintances influenced by propaganda, even relatives.
“It’s impossible to argue”, explains David at the January 29 gathering. “They cannot explain, they have no arguments”.
But for others, like the young Kancheli, cutting ties is no option: “When we win this battle, we will live in the same country with the same people”.
Despite the struggle, dialogue remains crucial. The demonstrators say they are making a case against unhealthy debate, which does not only affect Georgia but also harms global democracy.
It is now more than 100 days that Georgians have gathered across the country, including in front of the GPB. “I believe in my people”, says Irakli.
Tsotsoria concludes, “You cannot lose half of the society to lies.”
