Thousands of anti-government demonstrations in Georgia

According to RCO News Agency, last Thursday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of EU accession negotiations after the European Parliament criticized the country’s recent elections, which he claimed were “neither free nor fair”.

Since then, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets, and sources told Politico that part of Georgia’s parliament building caught fire Saturday evening. Also, the Georgian police used water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray to suppress the protests.

These protests have been formed following the announcement of the Tbilisi government to stop negotiations to join the European Union until 2028. The police responded to the violent protesters with water cannons and tear gas.

According to the Reuters News agency, the demonstrations are the largest since the re-election of the ruling anti-Western Georgian Dream party last month in parliamentary elections that the pro-EU opposition claims were rigged.

The protests have now turned into chaos, and there have been reports of a fire in front of the Georgian Parliament, which was caused by the protesters. The fire spread to the parliament building.

Also, other marches have been reported in different cities and regions of Georgia.

Earlier on Saturday, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the pro-EU opposition of plotting a revolution. The State Security Service also said that political parties were trying to “overthrow the government by force”.

Georgia has long been one of the staunchest pro-Western states since the collapse of the Soviet Union, but has recently moved closer to Moscow. The country was plunged into crisis on Thursday when the ruling Georgian Dream party announced it would stop joining the European Union. Tbilisi has accused Europe of blackmailing Georgia.

Membership in this union is extremely popular with many Georgians.

Tina Kuprishvili, a protester outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, where EU and Georgian flags hung side by side, said she wanted Georgia to stick to its constitutional obligations to join the EU.

Opposition President Salome Zurabishvili, who also supports EU membership, said she would not step down after her term ends next month because the new parliament is illegal and has no power to appoint her successor.

Also, images of the violent arrest of protesters by the security forces on Saturday were widely distributed.

One of the Georgian investigators said that the “brutality” of the police against the protesters was “disturbing” and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe also announced that it is deeply concerned about the current situation in Georgia.

The European Union has also said that it deeply regrets the action of the Tbilisi government, and the US State Department has also announced that it will suspend its strategic partnership with Georgia in response to this action.

end of message