{"id":17252,"date":"2025-01-27T18:47:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T17:47:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/?post_type=news&p=17252"},"modified":"2025-04-16T19:12:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T19:12:32","slug":"georgias-protests-women-resistance-and-a-hijacked-future","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/news\/georgias-protests-women-resistance-and-a-hijacked-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia\u2019s Protests: Women, Resistance, and a Hijacked Future"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note<\/span><\/b>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Georgia’s protests represent a critical moment in the nation’s history, reflecting its struggle for democracy and European identity. This article includes an interview with a digital media strategist whose personal story encapsulates the broader struggles faced by activists. RNW Media calls on relevant authorities to uphold the rights of journalists and media makers, especially in conflict and politically unstable environments.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By Marwa Azelmat, Digital Rights Expert, RNW Media<\/b><\/p>\n

In the chaos of Georgia\u2019s ongoing protests, few voices have been as relentless as Dodie Kharkheli\u2019s. A digital strategist, blogger, and mother, Dodie has faced police intimidation, raids, and personal loss\u2014all without backing down. \u201cIf they thought fear would silence me,\u201d she says, \u201cthey miscalculated.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Georgian Dream (GD) government announced in November 2024 that it would pause EU negotiations until 2028, it wasn\u2019t just a political betrayal. It was a declaration of war on Georgia\u2019s European identity. The country\u2019s constitution enshrines its European path, and the people have consistently shown their commitment to that vision. GD\u2019s decision was a breaking point, and the protests that followed have grown into a national movement.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Dodie, this fight is deeply personal. Last spring, her ex-husband, a respected blogger who had gained the trust of over 50,000 followers for his coverage of the war in Ukraine, was detained on fabricated charges. His real crime? Being a credible voice against the regime. Then, in December, the crackdown came for her.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After dropping off her three-year-old at kindergarten, Dodie was ambushed by police who demanded her apartment keys. \u201cThey wanted to raid my home without me there,\u201d she says. When she resisted, they dragged her back to her house, where they attempted to break in. Only the swift action of a neighbor, who livestreamed the incident on Facebook, stopped them from carrying out their plan. \u201cThey took everything\u2014my laptop, my phones, even my child\u2019s play console. It wasn\u2019t about what they found. It was about intimidation.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dodie wasn\u2019t alone. That same night, other activists faced similar raids. \u201cIt was a scary tactic,\u201d she says. \u201cBut it made me stronger, angrier. They think fear will stop us but fear only works if you let it\u2014and we won\u2019t.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The protests aren\u2019t just about defiance; they\u2019re also about truth. Georgia\u2019s media is deeply polarized. While a few independent outlets strive for neutrality, most major networks are entrenched in political agendas. Pro-government channels downplay the scale of the protests, even ignoring crowds of hundreds of thousands. In one instance, a pro-GD channel showed empty streets while protesters filled them.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Media Freedom Index, Georgia\u2019s media landscape remains pluralistic but heavily polarized, reflecting the deep political divides in the country (Media Freedom Index report). The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) similarly highlights the challenges faced by independent journalism in Georgia amid increasing political pressures (UNDP Georgia Press Release).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Online, the situation is even grimmer. As a digital communication strategist, Dodie has seen firsthand how the regime manipulates narratives. \u201cGD pours millions into disinformation campaigns, using thousands of bots and fake accounts to attack activists and flood platforms with propaganda,\u201d she explains. \u201cOn TikTok, they glorify the police with dramatic, heroic videos set to emotional music. For people who don\u2019t understand how propaganda works, it can be convincing. But we counter it with truth\u2014and truth still resonates.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The demands of the protesters are clear:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Free all political prisoners: Activists arrested during protests are being held on trumped-up charges with no evidence of wrongdoing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Hold new elections: The current government has lost legitimacy in the eyes of its people, and restoring trust requires a fresh start.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      What makes these protests extraordinary is the people behind them\u2014especially women. Women are at the forefront, using their visibility and courage as both a shield and a weapon. Dodie explains how women have learned to protect male protesters from detention. \u201cWhen we see the police coming for someone, we cling to them, surround them, and pull them away. It\u2019s not heroism\u2014it\u2019s survival.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      For Dodie, the fight is about more than politics. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about elections,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s about who we are as a nation. Are we European, or are we a regime\u2019s puppet? That\u2019s what we\u2019re fighting for.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Dodie\u2019s defiance is emblematic of the movement itself\u2014fueled by anger, resilience, and an unshakable belief in Georgia\u2019s future. \u201cThis fight is brutal. It\u2019s cost me my peace, my safety, and my family\u2019s sense of security. But I\u2019ve gained something more important: a community that refuses to back down. This is Georgia\u2019s fight for its soul\u2014and we will win.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Georgia’s protests represent a critical moment in the nation’s history. This article includes an interview with a digital media strategist whose personal story encapsulates the broader struggles faced by activists.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":17747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"tags":[41],"class_list":["post-17252","news","type-news","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-information-integrity"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/17252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rnw.media\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}