A few thousand Georgians rallied outside the public television station and parliament building in the capital city today as daily protests against President Mikhail Saakashvili entered their third week, according to AP. They continued to demand the resignation of Saakashvili, the Western-backed president who opponents accuse of concentrating power in his own hands and mishandling last year's war with neighboring Russia, which resulted in heavy damages and a loss of territory. Outside Georgia's public television station headquarters, protesters demanded fair coverage. «We are striving for objective coverage of the events,» said Georgy Khaindrava, an opposition leader, vowing to picket the station until Saakashvili resigns. Saakashvili, a U.S.-educated lawyer, came to power in 2004 on the back of similar, peaceful protests. But after two weeks of nonviolent rallies signs emerged Friday that protesters may be expecting things to get physical. Television footage _ including from channels that cover opposition activities _ showed several wooden sticks and at least one baseball bat being distributed to protesters. Reports in the Georgian and Russian media said the distribution of potential weapons was wider. Some opposition leaders denied weapons were being handed around, calling it a setup by Georgian authorities looking for an excuse to violently disperse the crowds. Others, however, said they needed sticks to defend themselves. Police have said they will not interfere as long as the protests remain peaceful. A convoy of opposition supporters driving from western Georgia was expected to join the demonstrators late Friday.
