Georgia: Anti-government rally held in Tbilisi over EU accession delay

Late on December 17, several hundred people gathered again in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi for an anti-government rally.

During the protest, the demonstrators blocked Rustaveli Avenue, where the parliament building is located. Some participants came to the parliament in processions, marching through the centre of Tbilisi, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media. 

The action was said to be peaceful, as in previous days, there were no law enforcers on duty near the protest spot. In addition to Tbilisi, protests were simultaneously taking place in Batumi and Kutaisi.

Around 2 a.m. local time, the protesters left the square and went home.

Notably, new protests began in Georgia on November 28. Rallies are held daily outside the parliament building. The first week of the rallies was the most tense. Some of the protesters used pyrotechnics against law enforcers, the latter used water cannons and tear gas. The clashes lasted all night and ended with the special forces forcing the protesters out of Rustaveli Avenue. In recent days, the rallies have become peaceful, and law enforcement officers have ceased to be on duty near the rallies.

The reason for the protests was the statement of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that the ruling party Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia decided not to include the issue of negotiations on accession to the European Union and refuse all its budget grants until the end of 2028. 

According to the head of the government, the reasons for this were constant blackmail from the EU regarding the start of accession dialog, demands to cancel a number of laws adopted by the parliament and calls to impose sanctions on the Georgian authorities.

By Khagan Isayev