Protests in Tbilisi have entered their 11th consecutive day, with tens of thousands rallying against the Georgian Dream party’s suspension of European Union accession talks.
At least 300 people had been arrested so far.
The demonstrations have been met with escalating police force, including water cannons, tear gas, and batons. Journalists and protesters have reported being pursued by masked gangs of thugs, leading to numerous injuries.
Protesters on the capital’s Rustaveli Avenue have built barricades and set off fireworks, while many displayed pictures of those they believe to have been hurt or captured by the authorities.
Demonstrators rally outside the Parliament to protest against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. Riot police have used water cannons, tear gas, and…
Demonstrators rally outside the Parliament to protest against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. Riot police have used water cannons, tear gas, and batons against demonstrators, leading to numerous injuries.
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AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov
Journalists Targeted During Democracy Protests
Georgia’s political crisis deepened after the disputed Oct. 26 parliamentary election—viewed by many as a referendum on the country’s potential EU membership—saw the pro-Moscow Georgian Dream party retain control.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the party refuses to allow the EU to keep Georgia in a “constant state of blackmail and manipulation.”
The EU previously granted Georgia candidate status in Dec 2023. Accession talks and financial aid were frozen shortly afterward, due to the passage of the Russia-inspired “foreign influence” law.
State-sponsored violence is now allegedly being directed toward the nation’s media.
“Our colleagues are beaten, injured, some remain in hospital in serious condition,” said television anchor Ekaterine Mishveladze from the independent TV Pirveli channel.
Maka Chikhladze, a reporter for TV Pirveli, says she and her colleague were assaulted by a mob while covering the protests last weekend.
Chikhladze recounted that men dressed in black, who were beating demonstrators, turned on them, resulting in her being pushed to the ground and her colleague sustaining a head injury and losing his camera.
She accused the government of deploying thugs to intimidate protesters, a claim the ruling party denies.
President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili gives a statement during a mini session of the European Parliament on May 31, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. Western nations, including the United States and key EU members, have urged…
President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili gives a statement during a mini session of the European Parliament on May 31, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. Western nations, including the United States and key EU members, have urged the Georgian government to uphold democratic norms and cease the crackdown on peaceful protests.
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Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
‘A Succession of Illegalities,’ says President
In solidarity, hundreds of journalists marched through central Tbilisi on Sunday.
Opposition parties and President Salome Zourabichvili have accused the ruling party of electoral fraud with alleged Russian assistance.
Zourabichvili, who holds a largely symbolic role, unsuccessfully contested the results in court. Her role is due for handover on Dec. 29, but only if power is passed to a legitimate government, she says.
She recently described the ruling Georgian Dream party as “very isolated.”
“The whole thing is a kind of fiction, the result of a succession of illegalities,” she told French publication Le Monde last week.
Opposition lawmakers have since boycotted Georgian Dream’s parliamentary sessions, arguing it would lend credibility to a government they accuse of undermining Georgia’s democratic principles.
The office of Georgia’s rights ombudsman on Sunday issued a statement criticizing Georgian police for “failing to take adequate measures” to ensure safety during the demonstrations.
Demonstrators warm themselves during a protest against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union, Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. The Georgian rights ombudsman criticized the police for failing to ensure…
Demonstrators warm themselves during a protest against the government’s decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union, Tbilisi, Georgia, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. The Georgian rights ombudsman criticized the police for failing to ensure the safety of demonstrators.
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AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov
Zelensky Imposes Sanctions on Georgian Dream
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to sanctions against Georgian government officials who are “surrendering Georgia to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”
“This is how it works in international affairs: if you do not respond in time or fail to respond with principle, then decades are lost, and countries are robbed of their freedom,” Zelensky said in a video published to his Telegram.
Wider international condemnation of the government’s response has been swift.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the “repression of those calling for their country to stay on the path to closer ties with Europe.”
Parts of Europe have urged the government to respect democratic norms for its population of 3.7 million. The Netherlands has proposed that the European Union suspend its visa-free travel arrangements with Georgia until the situation is resolved.
President Zourabichvil said she discussed solutions with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral ceremony in Paris, France, at the weekend.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press