Georgia's unrest: Protests flare as EU talks halted
For the third consecutive day, thousands of people gathered in the evening in front of the parliament in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi. The crowd was surrounded by a cordon of police officers who arrived on the scene with several buses. The parliament building was set on fire, along with an effigy of the oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.
On Rustaveli Avenue, whistles echo, and the facade of the parliament is illuminated with green laser lights. Those standing closest are rhythmically banging on the metal sheets protecting the building, and some have broken the building's windows.
Participants claim this is the largest gathering in Tbilisi since the start of the anti-government protests following the parliamentary elections on October 26.
Protesters have burned, among other things, an effigy of Bidzina Ivanishvili—an oligarch supporting the ruling Georgian Dream, considered the "real ruler" of Georgia. Some even call him the "owner" of the country, as his fortune was once estimated to be up to one-third of the country's GDP. The Georgian Dream flag was also set on fire.
Protesters also broke into the parliamentary building and ignited something inside. The videos show flames in one of the rooms, but it is not clear how serious the fire is.
Protesters also erected barricades to prevent armed police from reaching the site. Protesters refer to them as "robocops." They hit the protesters with heavily-gloved hands.
On Saturday evening, anti-government protests also took place in other Georgian cities, including Batumi, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti, Gori, Zugdidi, and Poti.
The great opposition of Georgians
On Thursday, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, unexpectedly announced that Georgia is suspending talks about joining the European Union until 2028. "We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028. By 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030," he said.
This unexpected declaration shocked Georgians. The country applied for membership in 2022 and, a year later, obtained candidate status. Protests have been ongoing in Georgia for several days.
The situation arose in the post-election period. In the October parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream won with an overwhelming number of votes. However, observers report numerous instances of fraud. President Salome Zurabishvili challenged the decision to recognize the elections in the Constitutional Court.
However, the parliament has already begun work, which many consider a constitutional violation. A new president is expected to be elected in December—not through public elections for the first time, but by an Electoral College, which includes deputies, among others.
Salome Zurabishvili announced that she does not intend to resign, asserting that the president should be chosen by a legal parliament, and the current one is not.
