About RE:action

In the 1990-ies once and for all deteriorated political relations between Russia and Georgia turned into a burden for the young Georgian Statehood. Russia's open aggression in Tskhinvali and Abkhazia destroyed all illusions regarding the "two Russias " - something so eagerly lectured by Shevardnadze's government. Under the silence of the ostentatiously democratic Russia cannons of the factual neighbor took the stage. This resulted into occupation of the historical Georgian lands, as well as the genocide and ethnic cleansing of tens of thousands of Georgian citizens, hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people and dramatic fall of the average level of life. People, never having lived in freedom previuosly, lost the plot and fell victims to the unsuccessful regime for the next 12 years.

However the recent events in Georgia , as well as the demonstration of unflagging passion for freedom, reinforced self belief of the Georgian society. This pushed people to express their opinion directly and clearly. Those public sentiments were immediately reflected in the Georgian internet space.

On August 17, 2004, on the opposite of Russia 's Tbilisian Embassy, users of the popular Georgian web page "Forum of Tbilisi" (forum.ge) came together. People of different age, sex, profession and education joined their voices to state straightly, that Russia is aggressor and inspirator of all disturnabces, wars, ethnic cleansings and genocides in Georgia .

This group of internet users called their rally Re:action. The demands of Re:action, which remain actual to this day, were as follows:
1. Immediate withdrawal of the Russian military bases from Georgia;
2. Immediate withdrawal of the Russian peacekeepers from the conflict zones in Georgia;
3. To put an end to Russia's military, political and financial aid to the puppet regimes on the territory of Georgia to disguise its open aggression;
4. To put an end to anti-Georgian hysteria in the Russian media.

It took three days to organize the rally. It started at 6 pm, August 17, 2004, in front of the Russian Embassy building. Nobody expected as many people as actually showed up. The forum users and the locals came out to launch a small, but significant battle for the idea. Till then only 5-6 forum users knew each other. Others contacted merely through the internet, and yet the people in the street looked like friends for ages.

The audio and video equipment were installed and the projector launched the first pictures on the facade of the Embassy building. The Georgian folk songs were turned on and the local broadcasters invited to cover the event.

The organizers unanimously decided to keep the Re:action going for a couple of days. It was also agreed that the rally would eventually end on August 27. Suprisingly, the Re:action produced an extensive outcry in the world media. Only the Russian sources covered the event in negative tones.

The organizers also agreed to continue close monitoring of the Russia's policy towards Georgia and arrange rallies permanently in case of necessity.

The Re:actionists returned to the Russian Embassies - not just the Tbilisian Embassy - on September 27. Georgians in France, Norway and Czech Republic joined protests and arranged their own Re:actions in Paris, Oslo and Prague. That day it was the reaction against the launch of the Moscow-Sukhumi train. With the help of the Art Academy students the Re:actionists from forum.ge set up an imrovised card box train and after a tour in around Tbilisi reached their destination - the Russian Embassy. This Re:action lasted only a single day.

February 18, 2005
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister, is due to Tbilisi in his official visit. He refuses to lay the wreath in front of the memorial of those killed in wars for Georgia's territorial integrity - an event foreseen by the protocol. At 4 pm the Re:action arranges rally of protest in front of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, where Mr. Lavrov calls press conference.

The Re:actionists carry huge black ribbon, enlarged photo of the memorial is attached on the opposite wall and funeral music plays to mourn the death of Russian diplomacy. Despite minor incidents the Re:action proves successful. Once again the public sentiments are expressed in the sharpest possible terms.

April 8, 2005
Another Re:action is carried out to remind Russia its role in a tragedy of April 9, 1989. The Re-actionists gather in the front of the Russian Embassy. Only the sacred music can be heard in a total silence and the pictures depicting the April 9 events are projected across the facade of the Embassy building. The photos of those killed in a tragedy are exhibited on a black board. The spades of the trench men are stuck in the earth as the symbol of cruelty of the Russian militaries who ruthlessly killed our fellow countrymen by those spades... This time the Re:action lasts 2 days...

During all these events the Re:action on internet continues non-stop. The Re:actionists have created their own web page, www.reaction.ge, which is currently under reconstruction. The old format of the site can be navigated at www.mzera.com/reaqcia. In support of the Re:action a number of the internet resources have agreed to place information banners on their pages without any fee.