In Georgia the opposition has started a period of protest to try to force President Saakashvili from power.

On 9 April RFE/RL reports that more than 50,000 people demonstrated demanding the president’s resignation, though this was apparently somewhat fewer than had been hoped or expected. They demanded that the president resign within 24 hours, but, unsurprisingly, this request was rejected.

This protest is gaining world attention partly because it is meant to resemble the way in which Saakashvili himself came to power and also because Georgia is still in the headlines after the war last year. The opposition to President Saakashvili seems to come from people who were disenchanted with him prior to his re-election last year and from people who blame him for events (or at least the management of them) surrounding last year’s war.

Eurasianet reports that the protestors have erected barricades, but that fewer people were on the streets now than on the first day of the protest.