Pro-EU protests in Georgia escalate
Pro-EU protests continued for a third night on Sunday in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, where activists clashed with riot police outside the former Soviet country’s parliament building.
The demonstrations are backed by a coalition of opposition parties, as well as Georgia’s pro-EU president, Salome Zourabichvili, who labelled the current government “illegitimate.” She previously claimed that the October parliamentary election was rigged in favor of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The protesters are outraged by the government’s decision to freeze the negotiations on joining the EU until 2028.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakzhidze said Georgia should ultimately become a member state, but do so on fair terms. He accused the EU of using the accession talks to “blackmail” Georgia and meddle in its politics.
01 December 2024
04:50 GMTAccording to news channel Rustavi 2 and website Civil Georgia, police have cleared Rustaveli Avenue of protesters. Traffic has been restored on the street.
A group of protesters has moved to nearby Ilia Chavchavadze Avenue, calling on bystanders to join them.
- 03:14 GMT
A video shared on social media shows riot police detaining protesters. The altercation reportedly took place as the officers were pushing the crowd away from the parliament building.
Tbilisi 02:31#Special#forces against peaceful #protesters#GeorgiaProtests#Geo#EUpic.twitter.com/ShSPgkPqaz
— Samira Bayramova 🇬🇪 🇪🇺 (@SamBayramova) November 30, 2024 - 03:07 GMT
As of 6 am local time, a large number of protesters remained on Rustaveli Avenue and refused to leave, local media reported.
At 6 a.m., large number of protesters remain on Rustaveli Avenue. Police continue to disperse those at the front with tear gas, while the majority stay behind. 'Until the end,' the protesters chant.🎥 Gigi Kobakhidze/Civil.ge pic.twitter.com/upL5CwoAP2
— Civil.ge (@CivilGe) December 1, 2024 - 01:39 GMT
News channel Imedi posted a video of protesters “attacking” an ambulance.
The Interior Ministry said that people were blocking a fire truck from reaching an unspecified “incident scene.”
Protesters in Tbilisi attacked ambulance pic.twitter.com/Wb2v3Tizn0
— IMEDI News (@tv_imedi) November 30, 2024 - 01:11 GMT
Mamuka Mdinaradze, executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, accused the outgoing Biden administration of fueling the protests.
“They want to make it done before Trump’s inauguration. The protests lack impetus and they want to assist,” he wrote on Facebook, as quoted by public broadcaster 1TV.
Mdinaradze wrote his post in response to the US State Department’s accusation of “excessive force” against the demonstrators.
- 00:26 GMT
President Zourabichvili has once again denounced the government. “Another violent night in Tbilisi. The illegitimate government resorts to illegal means to silence Georgians standing firm for their constitutional, European choice,” she wrote on X in early hours on Sunday.
Zourabichvili, a former French diplomat, said earlier that she will not step down until the country has “a legitimately elected parliament.” Her presidential term expires this month.
30 November 2024
23:22 GMTProtesters began throwing Molotov cocktails at the police. They previously attempted to break the windows of the parliament building and have set small fires.
Protesters in Tbilisi begin using Molotov cocktails pic.twitter.com/MveE2NxGyP
— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) November 30, 2024- 23:18 GMT
Georgia’s ambassador to Lithuania, Salome Shapakidze, became the latest diplomat to announce her resignation following the government’s decision to suspend the EU accession talks.
“It was an honor and privilege to serve my country’s national interests for more than a decade,” she wrote on X. “Georgia is Europe!”
Georgia’s envoy to the Netherlands and Bulgaria, as well as its acting ambassador to Italy, tendered their resignations earlier this week.
