Fireworks target Georgian parliament during anti-government protest in Tbilisi

Protesters at an anti-government demonstration in Tbilisi have targeted the Georgian Parliament building with fireworks.

The incident was broadcast live by the Georgian television channel, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

For most of the evening, the protest had proceeded peacefully without any recorded incidents. However, a group of unidentified young individuals suddenly arrived with fireworks and began launching them at the parliament building.

Despite a significant police presence both inside and around the parliament, officers did not respond to the incident. The situation outside the legislature is now calm, with only a few people remaining. Many demonstrators have already left the area.

According to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, five individuals, including one foreign national, have been detained on charges of organizing or participating in mass disturbances during the protests in Tbilisi.

“Comprehensive investigative measures revealed that the accused disobeyed and resisted Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel on Rustaveli Avenue during the protests. They also actively participated in the unrest and threw various objects at police officers,” the ministry said.

During searches of the detainees’ homes and personal belongings, authorities seized mobile phones, computer equipment, military clothing, gas masks, firearms, cash, and memory cards.

The accused face potential prison sentences of up to nine years. In total, 23 people have been arrested on various criminal charges related to the Tbilisi protests.

Thus, mass protests in Georgia have continued into a second week following the government's decision to halt negotiations on joining the European Union.

Georgia, home to 3.7 million people, has been gripped by growing unrest as tensions rise between the ruling Georgian Dream party and its critics. Opposition groups accuse the government of veering towards authoritarianism and aligning with Russia while turning away from the West.

The crisis intensified after the government announced it would halt EU accession talks for four years. Thousands of pro-EU protesters clashed with police in Tbilisi, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds. Demonstrations continued on December 1 evening, with large gatherings on Rustaveli Avenue in the capital.

Protests have spread beyond Tbilisi, with reports of demonstrators blocking access to the Black Sea port city of Poti. In Khashuri, a central Georgian town, locals reportedly pelted the Georgian Dream office with eggs and removed the party's flag.

Western nations, including the EU and the United States, have voiced concern over Georgia’s perceived pivot away from European integration and towards closer ties with Russia. Meanwhile, Georgian Dream maintains that its actions are aimed at safeguarding the nation's sovereignty from foreign influence.

By Aghakazim Guliyev