BATUMI CITIZENS START LEAVING, REPORTS RUSTAVI 2 TBILISI, March 15, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - Citizens of Batumi (the capital of Adzharia, an autonomous republic in Georgia) are fleeing the city, the Rustavi 2 TV channel reported on Monday People are crossing the automobile bridge across the Choloki River (Adzharia's administrative border) and moving towards the adjoining Potiysky district, West Georgia.
"We are going where it is peaceful and calm. There is no peace here," some refugees told journalists at the administrative border.
On March 15th machine guns appeared on the roofs of buildings in Batumi. Several of them were located on the roof of the Meskheti hotel, Rustavi 2 reports.
According to the TV channel, the Batumi road police department is handing out guns to people.
The checkpoint at the Choloki is guarded by task forces of Adzharia's law-enforcement structures numbering about 400 people and a few armored vehicles.
