Political unrest in Tbilisi: Thousands rally against ruling party
In Tbilisi, anti-government protests are taking place on the day of the presidential elections. Thousands of Georgians oppose the policies of Georgian Dream.
In the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, massive protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party are taking place on the day of the presidential elections. The demonstrations began under the slogan "Wake up, Georgia". Thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to express their opposition to the government's policies.
Among the demonstrators, the pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili also appeared and was enthusiastically received by the crowd.
In the morning, in the city centre on Rustaveli Avenue, protesters gathered with Georgian flags, singing the national anthem. As part of the "Show Kawelashvili's Diploma" action, it was highlighted that the president elected on Saturday by the electoral college, Mikheil Kawelashvili, does not hold a higher education degree.
The Georgian authorities secured the area around the parliament by deploying police, water cannons, and buses to transport special forces officers.
Georgian media reported that various groups will march throughout the day on the streets of the capital in protest against Georgian Dream's policies. Planned events include a street run with Georgian and EU flags, a demonstration by nature activists, the mountain climbing community, and representatives from sports organizations, including the Georgian Football Association.
Political revolution in Georgia
Civic protests in Georgia have been ongoing since November 28. They are a response to Georgian Dream's decision to suspend negotiations on Georgia's accession to the European Union. In the early days, demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the police. Protesters are demanding the release of detainees and new parliamentary elections due to irregularities in the October voting.
The only candidate in Saturday's presidential elections was the politician and former footballer Kawelashvili, nominated by Georgian Dream. For the first time in Georgia, the head of state was not elected in a general election. These elections are not recognized by the President and opposition forces. Zurabishvili called them a "mockery of democracy".
According to an IPM survey, 65 percent of Georgians support the anti-government protests, while 28 percent hold the opposite view, and 7 percent of respondents either refuse to answer or have no opinion. The greatest support comes from young people up to 34 years old, with as many as 76 percent in favour. The survey was conducted on a sample of 1,600 people from December 3-12.
