Wednesday11 December 2024
vsedelo.com

In Georgia, security forces are dispersing protests that have erupted following the government's decision to abandon talks on joining the EU.

On the night of November 29, Georgian security forces began to disperse protests in Tbilisi that erupted following the government's refusal to engage in negotiations regarding membership in the European Union.
В Грузии правоохранители разгоняют протесты, вспыхнувшие после отказа от переговоров о вступлении в Европейский Союз.
Полицейские разгоняют протесты в Тбилиси, столице Грузии, 29 ноября 2024 года

This is reported by the Georgian service of “Radio Free Europe”, the project “Echo of the Caucasus”, and News Georgia.

To disperse the protesters, the police in Georgia used water cannons and tear gas. Meanwhile, the demonstrators attempted to build barricades for protection against the authorities and threw eggs at them.

The security forces managed to push the protesters away from the Georgian parliament building, where the protests erupted. Subsequently, clashes broke out between citizens and police, resulting in the detention of some protesters.

Additionally, several protesters were injured, including local journalists covering the events. Among them is Guram Rogava, who works for the Formula TV channel.

According to News Georgia, the next protest is scheduled for November 29 at 19:00.

Recall that on November 28, during the day, the Prime Minister of the country, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced that Georgia decided to suspend negotiations for joining the European Union until 2028, as well as to forgo any budget grants from the EU.

More about the situation in Georgia

On October 26, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia. According to the counting results, the “Georgian Dream” party emerged victorious, which had been in power until now. However, just the day before, opposition political forces in Georgia declared that they would not recognize the election results in the country. The results were also not recognized by the president, Salome Zourabichvili.

Georgian law enforcement opened 47 criminal cases related to potential crimes connected to the parliamentary elections. In particular, charges were filed against two suspects who threw a whole stack of ballots into a ballot box at one of the polling stations.

International observers noted that while Georgian voters had a wide choice among parties, the voting was marred by unequal conditions, pressure, and tension. However, the Tbilisi court dismissed all claims from opposition political forces and civil organizations demanding that the final protocols of the district commissions be declared invalid.

Following this, opposition parties in Georgia announced a permanent street protest demanding new parliamentary elections.