Troubled Times

I've received a couple emails of concern about the recent developments here in Georgia. Yesterday, violence broke out in central Tbilisi after six days of opposition protests. Police in riot gear cleared the crowds with tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets. During the night, authorities shut down pro-opposition television and radio stations. A state of emergency has been declared in the capital and non-government news sources are not functioning.

I can tell you that the situation outside of the capital is calm, almost business as usual. My NGO opened for business today, the power is on, the internet is running. Some of the schools let out early, but in general, it feels like a normal day. We have been instructed by Peace Corps to remain at our sites, stay up on the news, and be ready in the event of an emergency. This is similar to the alert volunteers were place on for over a month during the Rose Revolution of 2003. Time will tell how things will turn out, but for the time being, don't worry--despite the headlines, things are calm and we're safe.