REGISTER: Bette’s Happy Hour with Anni Phridonashvili, Tuesday, May 19, 11 am Pacific
BETTE MEMBERS: Please register for our Happy Hour with Anni Phridonashvili, the student from the country of Georgia who was arrested on her way to a Marci Shore lecture at her university in Tbilisi
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“Watching my country defend itself feels like watching someone fight for their life in slow motion… for us, it is a fight against being erased by Russia. This Government wants to pull us back into a Russian-style ‘grey zone’ where truth does not exist and your future is decided by a billionaire in a glass palace.” – Anni Phridonashvili, arrested student, Tbilisi, Georgia
Thank you to everyone who supports this project. New reporting is free to all subscribers, but in order to support myself as I do this work, paid members receive access to our weekly zoom group events.
This week, we have our Tuesday Happy Hour featuring Anni Phridonashvili, whose story I document in my latest Byline column:
Anni was arrested on her way to attend Dr. Marci Shore’s lecture on “the responsibility of rebels” in Tbilisi.
Our Happy Hour event is tomorrow, May 17, 11 am Pacific (2 pm Eastern, 7 pm UK). Paid members will find the zoom link details at the very end of the post.
Here is an excerpt of the profound interview Anni gave me after being arrested for literally standing on a sidewalk, peacefully protesting.
Anni Phridonashvili: I am 20 years old and a student in Tbilisi, where I study International Relations and Philosophy. Like most people my age, l have spent the last few years trying to balance the demands of my studies with the raw reality of what is happening on our streets. I care deeply about history and politics, but more than that, I care about the future of my home. While both of my parents are immigrants living in Europe, l am here trying to protect our country from Russian aggression. I am just one of many who have realized that we can no longer afford the luxury of being “apolitical.”
I was looking forward to Marci Shore’s lecture, because I had heard so much about her work. I was drawn to her because I wanted to understand her perspective and how people in the past, like Václav Havel, dealt with the same kind of lies we are seeing today.
When the Government tries to tell you that “black is white,” you look for scholars who can help you find the language to describe what is actually happening. As soon as I heard about her lecture, I put it in my calendar, knowing there was only a 50/50 chance I could attend because the court was making a decision on my (previous arrest) case that same day.
My case is complicated. The “Georgian Dream” Government introduced a law forbidding citizens from protesting even on the sidewalk, where citizens have every constitutional right to stand. I had two court sessions. I attended the first one, listening to their absurd lies about how I was “blocking the road.”
May 6th was the day the judge was set to announce the decision. I had a midterm exam that morning and decided to go to the exam first, then went to my internship in the university administration. When I finally called the court to find out the result, I learned I had been sentenced to two days in jail. Shortly after, the police arrived and took me away.
The protest movement turned out to be a very long-term process. It is not like the movies where there is one big “victory” moment; it has been a constant, draining cycle of mobilization since 2024. Watching my country defend itself feels like watching someone fight for their life in slow motion.
There is immense pride in seeing my professors, my friends, and even people I used to disagree with, standing together on Rustaveli Avenue. But there is also fear. We have seen the police use chemicals, we have seen the “titushky” – government-sponsored thugs – attack people in the dark and we have seen the state pass laws that effectively criminalize the simple act of standing on a sidewalk.
This isn’t just a “political disagreement.” For us, it is a fight against being erased by Russia. This Government wants to pull us back into a Russian-style “grey zone” where truth does not exist and your future is decided by a billionaire in a glass palace.
Georgia is a European country, not because of a map, but because of how we think and what we are willing to endure to stay free. We are a small nation that has spent centuries trying to escape an empire, and we won’t let it swallow us again without a fight. We are tired, yes, but we are not finished.
My vision for Georgia is a future where we don’t have to spend every spring and fall on Rustaveli Avenue just to protect the basics. I envision a country where “European integration” isn’t just a slogan on a flag we carry while being tear-gassed, but a boring, everyday reality.
I want a Georgia where our institutions are stronger than the people who run them, where a billionaire cannot “halt” our history to suit his business interests or his relationship with Moscow.
I see a future where my generation doesn’t have to choose between being “patriotic” and being “free.” I want an education system that teaches us how to think, not what to fear. Ultimately, I want a future where being a “rebel” is no longer a requirement for citizenship. I want us to be a normal, safe, thriving democracy, where the biggest news of the day is mundane, not whether the police will arrest my friend for exercising a fundamental right.
And Please Save These Upcoming Dates:
In addition to tomorrow’s event, our next Sunday Speakeasy, May 24, we are bringing back retired IRS criminal investigator Martin Sheil to discuss Putin’s growing paranoia about being couped or assassinated, and who might be next in line to rule Russia. On Tuesday, May 26, we are inviting Ukrainian director Alisa Kovalenko to speak about her film, Traces, which documents the stories of women who survived conflict-related sexual violence and torture by Russian soldiers. Invitations to both those events will be sent out later in the week.
And thank you to everyone who attended yesterday’s Speakeasy with the commander of the Georgian National Legion, Ukraine, and to those who donated to their fundraiser. I will have more news on that shortly and more ways to donate.
To register for tomorrow’s event, keep scrolling below the paywall.
If you are not yet a member of the Bette Dangerous community and would like to join our events, please upgrade to a paid membership here:
To those of you who are new here, I began the Happy Hours three years ago, when I noted that many members of our community were despondent over the Endless Awful. The name was meant to be ironic, but I know I always feel better when we hear from global experts and activists, as our community comes together.
Keep scrolling to register — and I do hope to see many of you in the squares!
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