The head of MI6 is now a Georgian! And Metreveli is a surname from Racha. Possibly now the world's most important Rachveli? share.google/FSRARDfWCzqp...

"Set Fire to the Oligarchy!" is my current favourite Georgian protest chant My 6 year old has taken to shouting it at play time too Not a bad slogan for this world beset by Musk, Thiel & other billionaire fanatics

Now, more than ever before those of us who stand for democracy must take up the old socialist slogan: "Neither Washington nor Moscow!" They are now both enemies, not just to socialists, but all democrats everywhere We must unite to have any hope of defeating them.

This is utterly horrific What is the point of Labour?

Bernie Sanders as usual the lodestone of the healthy part of the US left. There is no grey area here. Either you are with the fascist international of Trump and Putin. Or you are with the democratic resistance to that Neither Trump's Washington nor Putin's Moscow but social justice and democracy

For many years, this attitude was unironically true under the Soviets/Russians. The mafia actually gained alot of its legitimacy because it served as a (very flawed) alternate source of justice to the occupation authorities

March 2022 Marco Rubio might have been surprised to learn that a leading figure helping Russia try to achieve its war aims is February 2025 Marco Rubio.

The spirit of Menshevik Georgia is reviving. Oligarch-capitalists beware, the Georgian left is back

Despite the cold and snowy weather, 74-year-old Mzisa Gabeshia continues her non-stop protest outside Martvili City Hall. And does anyone think that we Georgians will lose this battle? Photo: Salome Qinqladze

The baddies are winning everywhere & it's triggering my fight or flight response Neither really works though: Fight: Get beaten up by titushky & ultimately doesn't change anything Flight: Where? It's terrible everywhere & I don't have money for an apocalypse bunker Which are you choosing?

The Zentrum party has decided after much consideration to support the Enabling Act We had a private meeting with Mr Hitler and we are satisfied with his assurances that he will not abuse these powers

Americans voted for fascism. And that is what they have got Many US voters thought this was a game. That they could be edgy but nothing really bad would happen But this time, it will be death to so many Special fuck you to the accelerationist Jill Stein left who said Harris & Trump were the same

Had Putin been literally appointed US President, I can't think of much he'd have done differently: - Dismantle the rule of law by egregiously breaking it - Purge of civil service - Start conflicts with allies - Destroy organisations that threaten Russia It's a familiar playbook for us in Georgia

Elon and Trump's destruction of USAID is beyond Bidzina's (and of course Putin's) wildest dreams The NGO sector is a real threat to their fascist dream Gotta hand it to GD - they were right to have faith in them

People being bundled off by masked police. Opposition Coalition for Change co-leader Nika Melia & ex-Tbilisi mayor Ugulava is among them The regime rushed through changes in the law to stop this protest yet fearlessly they went ahead Fascism is rising everywhere but resistance is never futile

Trump 1 was bad. But for me it was something unfolding on TV in a faraway land Trump 2 is different. *Immediate* consequences. People I know losing their jobs or afraid of it And this is just the start. Millions are going to suffer. Fascism is rising So far, Putin & GD were right to be Team Trump

🚨 Starting in 1 hour! How do Georgians, Moldovans & other smaller "frontline" nations deal with the new reality of Trump 2.0? How can we protect both democracy and our security in these troubled times? Join us to discuss!

Join us at today's LSE event (3pm GMT/7pm Tbilisi) to discuss how our region can adapt to Trump 2.0 Joining me on the panel: Moldova foreign minister Mihai Popsoi Georgia ex-defence minister Tina Khidasheli Columbia University's @lincolnmitchell.bsky.social Register here: tinyurl.com/52sxthth

Finally. Someone has thought to set up some seats at the protest to talk strategy! Starts at 10pm!

As Trump issues order after authoritarian order, I ask Georgians to think beyond ourselves Yes: Trump isn't a direct threat to us & we need US support against Putin But the world is bigger than Georgia. Many will suffer under Trump. If we ask for solidarity, we must give it too

The Kremlin's last minute effort to u-turn and maintain its "relationship" with free Syria not going too well I see. If we had a legitimate government in Georgia, Syria's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia would be super easy to overturn now. But we don't so...

Genuine thoughts & prayers to all good Americans today as the Four Years of Doom begins Rather less genuine ones to Georgian Dream who are about to be disappointed when Trump doesn't remove sanctions Bidzina & Trump will meet in hell. But not before that. Donald won't give him the time of day

Really hard to say anything that doesn't sound trite about the long-awaited ceasefire in Gaza. I usually try & stay in my Black Sea lane on here. But it also seems wrong to be silent about the end to over a year of literal hell-on-earth for the people there So I'll just say this: Never again.

My hot take on Greenland is that it's just Trump sabre rattling for his base. He's not going to invade. It's a distraction The real threats from Trump are the human rights abuses, mass deportations, democratic backsliding, Elon economics, and the potential sacrifice of Ukraine

This. A few Gudauri ski staff could really annoy our klepto contract-eating GD biznesmeni class Strikes now!

Back from today's demo. Numbers since New Year have been low. Maybe a few 1000 But I'm not worried *yet* that we're merely a teeny tiny protest (trademark David Lee 😆) It's a feat that anyone at all came out between NY & Georgian Xmas But soon comes make or break time... 🧵 1/3

Hallelujah! Strikes at last But to win need more than 3 hrs & it must go beyond a handful of out-and-proud pro-opposition businesses Still: significant progress Civil servants probably too threatened for them to risk all for a mere "warning". But if this is big then next time may be different

Political crisis getting you down & robbing you of the New Years spirit? Help is at hand from our glorious regime! Free outdoor films dubbed into our true national language: Russian! Who said Gruzinskaya Guberniya can't put on a New Years show? We're the best in all Russia.

I am horrified but not surprised that the regime is trying to claim Georgia's supra feasting tradition as its own. I think we should respond by holding a massive one at the protests where we drink to the demise of authoritarianism

Those of you who've left Elon's hellsite are missing out on some fun as we all take the piss out of GD's Mariam Lashkhi for her weird regime haiku So I started a competition for other entries. Here's mine: Bera's hair is white EU flags are blue But with Putin we're tight So f**k you

Big news 🚨 Bidzina Ivanishvili has been sanctioned by the US And sanctioned financially, not just a visa ban

Here it is. Distilled in a paragraph *This* is why liberals (& also progressives/socialists) lose: The right don't play by the rules. They play dirty & win. The libs fiddle and lose. Merrick Garland could've stopped Trump. He didn't Starmer could stop Elon. He won't Why?

Great news. Thank you UK! But this needs to be just the start. Close Ivanishvili clan members like Ucha Mamatsashvili live in London. We need that list to get longer soon. Also heed @blairmcdougall.bsky.social's call for an investigation into regime propaganda Imedi TV's UK ownership structure

Temperature in Tbilisi was -3C Temperature in London is +13C Escape winter and enjoy warmth in.....England!

HUNGARIAN TRIO in the 2nd protest ahead of the Hungarian🇭🇺 Embassy in Georgia🇬🇪. I made a speech in English what you can see in one of the following links: www.facebook.com/share/v/LusY... x.com/laszlorobmez... x.com/laszlorobmez... #GeorgiaProtests

Free Georgia 🤝 Free Syria Mensheviks are the true revolutionaries 😆

So according to GD-Russian propaganda, I'm now al-Qaeda in Georgia! 🤣😂🤣😂 #FreeSyria #FreeGeorgia

President Salome Zourabichvili comes out to meet mothers (and me 😀) at the "Hands Off Our Children" protest against regime brutality

Given the magnitude of what has been happening in Georgia it's amazing how little we hear of it. Today Alex Skrivener provided analysis & explanation of the immense protest movement over an apparently stolen election & the fight between the EU & Putin's imperialism www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GWx...

Waking up at 7:30am to the sound of protest. Georgians *never* protest at 7:30am!We are NOT a morning culture. This is big. GD be afraid.

Everyone wants a photo with the flag of #Syria, liberated from Assad & Russia yoke here in #Tbilisi. People cheer, too. #Georgia

Funny thing: I ordered this flag just after the liberation of Aleppo. Assad still held most of Syria Assad's regime fell faster than I could get this flag produced and out on the streets Proud to have flown it today and it got lots of positive reaction from Georgians Free Georgia🤝Free Syria

Check out Diana Lezhava's recent interview on education. www.facebook.com/share/v/15KJ...

⏰ Reminder ⏰ We are talking Georgian Uprising today at 2 pm with @alscriv.bsky.social Register: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Had a great (quite detailed) conversation with my good friend @lincolnmitchell.bsky.social linking our fight in Georgia to the broader global battle against the forces of far-right authoritarianism I argue that complacent Americans (& Europeans) have much to learn from Georgians about fighting this

Red Guria is back! After a break of just 119 years! Context: Guria operated as a quasi-independent democratic socialist republic run by the Mensheviks in 1902-5 before they were crushed by (of course) the Russians.

Sudden call for help and protesters rush up Besiki Street near Parliament I don't know for sure but pro-oppo Pirveli TV team were recently beaten up by titushky here. So possibly another attack going on.

“Don’t be afraid of the word ‘Revolution’, for its purpose is to bring peace. Wine first it has to be mixed-up and down and ferment, before it filters out clearly. That’s the way things work in this world.” Writer and father of Georgian statehood - Ilia Chavchavadze

Talk of "selective" EU visa regime for Georgia Devil very much in the detail To work it can't just be bans for top bosses. It must hit GD's repressive base. No more trips to Paris for titushky But hard without hitting some normal people. Is there a case to say maybe some "collateral" is worth it?

OK. My bad. Seems like it's connected to the European Higher Education Area, not the EU itself. Oops. They use a .eu domain that threw me Anyway. The broader point still stands. Punish the government before you punish the people. So I won't delete but "community noting" myself with this.