February 2 massacre


The February 2 massacre was a pro-Zviad Gamsakhurdia protest in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1992 that was violently suppressed by the forces of the Military Council. The death toll from the massacre is estimated to range in the dozens; however, the exact number of casualties remains unknown to this day.
It is considered the bloodiest day in modern history of Georgia in terms of crackdown against peaceful protests.
Following a two-week 1991–1992 Georgian coup d'état, Zviad Gamsakhurdia who had won presidential elections on 26 May 1991, was toppled on 6 January 1992 in Tbilisi. As he fled to Armenia and later to Chechnya, his supporters organized a campaign of civil disobedience with the aim of restoration of the deposed government.
In the wake of his departure, spontaneous protests erupted in the capital, organized by supporters of Gamsakhurdia, referred to as "Zviadists". Several large demonstrations were violently dispersed by the interim government, led by the trio of Tengiz Kitovani, Tengiz Sigua, and Jaba Ioseliani. Among them the most notable were on 3 January 1992 near "Didube" metro station and railway tracks and 7 January 1992 near "Delisi" metro station which left several people dead after protesters were shot at by unidentified gunmen. ITN and its prominent journalist James Mates reported on these events. Also they were mentioned by Russia's Channel 1 and Germany's ARD Taggesschau unlike February 2, 1992 shootings.
After mass rallies held in Tbilisi on 29 and 30 January, Jaba Ioseliani returned from Samegrelo where he had been leading a military campaign against the forces loyal to Gamsakhurdia. In a TV interview, he vowed to restore order in the capital, threatening to "shoot dead every provocateur on the spot".

Massacre

On February 2, 1992, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered at Railway Station Square and began marching towards the government chancellery via Queen Tamar Avenue, chanting, "Down with the junta!" They were led by a group of activists who were using a loudspeaker to address the demonstrators with the following words, “Friends, let us walk slowly! Friends, we are not using violence as a means of struggle against anyone! Our march is a peaceful one! We struggle peacefully!“ The demonstrators continued marching and chanting slogans like, "Long live our legal president Zviad Gamsakhurdia! Georgia! Georgia!" As they stopped short of approaching the Tbilisi Circus, they were met by gunmen standing behind buses, trolleybuses and a fire engine blocking off access to them to Heroes' Square.
At this moment, a man with a loudspeaker started saying to the demonstrators, "Let us not touch the buses, friends! Let us not touch the buses!" while crowds were heard chanting, "Zviadi! Zviadi!" to the sound of the fire engine's motor revving up.
According to the footage widely available on YouTube and Facebook, other gunmen were taking position on the right side hilltop opposite the Tbilisi Circus. When gunfire erupted, members of the crowd initially crouched and did not much scatter, with some crying out, "Get up! They won't kill us all!" However, as some seriously wounded people were carried off from the scene, panic prevailed among some in the crowd.
The footage also showed crowds of demonstrators, dressed in warm winter clothing, calling the armed men "fascists". But this occurred before the shooting commenced.
Prior to the onset of the shooting, a water cannon was used against the protesters. In response the peaceful demonstrators started whistling even more than before.
And after the gunmen ceased shooting, consternation gripped the ralliers there as some of them were crying, while others were hurling curses at the perpetrators of this tragedy.
17-year-old Mamuka Terishvili carrying the national flag of Georgia in front of the peaceful people, protesting the overthrow of their legally elected president and parliament, was one of the first persons to fall at the hands of his brothers on February 2, 1992.
There were shootings also on Marjanishvili Square near metro station Marjanishvili, resulting in injuries. Military Commandant Gela Lanchava was allegedly in charge of the firing squads operating in the city. At least two young women were arrested on Marjanishvili Square near metro station "Marjanishvili". One of them was screaming while she was being pushed to continue to walk ahead. From time to time an armored/armoured personnel carrier was revving up its engine to intimidate ralliers already hiding in nearby buildings. Men, toting automatic rifles, also entered the metro station, but the footage doesn't show whether they arrested anyone there or not. And, at some point, an ambulance is seen receiving an injured demonstrator and driving away.

Aftermath

No investigation has ever been launched into this and many other similar tragic events taking place before or after. The regime-controlled media scarcely mentioned these events, describing them as clashes. More rallies were held in Tbilisi in April and May, - though on a much smaller scale than on February 2, 1992 - but the main focus of the "new regime" was now on using forceful means, mostly in Samegrelo, where the local people overwhelmingly supported Mr.Gamsakhurdia and represented the core of his loyalists.
Violence was also used against members of the new regime, for instance: a bomb attack on Mr. Ioseliani's car on 13 June 1992 and the capture of the state TV station by Walter Shurgaya and his armed men on June 24, 1992.
This civil war has also claimed the lives of some of the handsomest and brightest youngsters serving in the armed forces of the Military Council like Sandro Shaishmelashvili from the Sakartvelos Mkhedrioni. In his diary Sandrik wrote, "Life is a knot. Before you untie it, it is already over."
The civil war lasted until the end of 1993, though its repercussionscontinued well beyond that date. Supporters of the late president Gamsakhurdia continued to demonstrate even after Mr. Saakashvili came to power and announced a policy of reconciliation with the Zviadists.Then headed by his widow, the Zviadists protested against Mr. Bendukidze's economic reforms and various other issues.