Georgia, Tbilisi, June 8 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
An anti-NATO rally was held in Batumi's Europe Square on Friday.
It was attended by former political prisoners and representatives of civil society.
The participants of the rally expressed their condolences to the families of the soldiers killed in Afghanistan.
The protesters held posters with words: "We do not want NATO", "Stop sending our men to the slaughter".
"I also fought in Afghanistan. This was during the Soviet Union. And the Soviet Union was wrong when it sent troops to Afghanistan, and now the West is wrong. At first glance, the soldiers seem to be going to war as volunteers, but in fact they do this because of financial problems. I wish that all who started this program in our country, beginning from Mikheil Saakashvili, would have sent their own brothers, sons and relatives there. But it won't happen because they do not need it for financial reasons," one of the protesters, Anzor Dumbadze said.
The participants of the rally said that Georgia is not obliged to have the largest contingent in Afghanistan, and since promises that Georgia will join NATO are not being fulfilled, there is no point in continuing to participate in the mission in Afghanistan.