Dogs are a noble cause. But not a reason for politics.
This is the 711th day of protests in Tbilisi. First, animal rights activists gathered in the government administration and demanded to punish those responsible for the deaths of stray dogs. Then the supporters of the European integration took to the streets with the flags of the European Union, the USA and Ukraine, banners "Collapse of the regime" and "Bidzina Satan".
Animal protection itself is a good thing. Demanding an investigation, punishment of those responsible and treatment of shelters is normal and necessary. But when the action of animal rights activists equates to political protest, a trade-off begins. Dogs are one thing. Others are elections, the Euro-Atlantic course, political prisoners. To mix it into one rally is to use a noble theme as a warm-up.
And here is the question. Who benefits? Organizers of political events - because animal protection adds a "human face" and gathers those who would not go to a purely political rally. This is unlikely for animal rights activists themselves: their specific demands regarding the prosecutor's office and officials are drowned in general slogans about the "collapse of the regime".
Animal welfare should not become a subsidiary of a political campaign. Otherwise, tomorrow it will turn out that dogs are just an excuse, and the real agenda is completely different. And dogs, by the way, do not win such a game.