Georgians rally against EU freeze, ignite political unrest
For the third consecutive day, thousands gathered in the evening in front of the parliament in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. The crowd was surrounded by a cordon of police officers who arrived with several buses. The parliament building was set on fire, along with an effigy of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.
On Rustaveli Avenue, whistles could be heard, and the facade of the parliament was illuminated with green laser lights. Those standing closest were rhythmically banging on the metal sheets protecting the building, and some had broken the windows.
Participants claim this is the largest gathering in Tbilisi since the start of the anti-government protests following the parliamentary elections on 26th October.
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 at 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 set something alight. 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 occurred in the post-election period. In the October parliamentary elections, the Georgian Dream won with an overwhelming majority of votes. However, observers say there were numerous cases of fraud. President Salome Zurabishvili challenged the decision to recognise the elections in the Constitutional Court.
However, the parliament has already commenced 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, among others, deputies.
Salome Zurabishvili announced that she does not intend to resign, as the president should be chosen by a legal parliament, and the current one is not.
