Georgia sees another day of anti-government protests near parliament building

Another anti-government rally was held near the parliament building in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi.

Rustaveli Avenue, where the legislative building is located, was blocked, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

As in recent days, the majority of the protesters were participants of various rallies, who marched through the central streets toward the parliament building. The demonstration was peaceful, and there were not many police officers around the parliament.

New protests in Georgia began on November 28. The rallies were held daily near the parliament building. The first week of demonstrations was the most intense. Some protesters used fireworks against the security forces, who responded with water cannons and tear gas. 

Clashes continued throughout the night, ending with special forces pushing protesters off Rustaveli Avenue. In recent days, the demonstrations have turned peaceful, with law enforcement no longer stationed near the protest sites. Protesters voluntarily dispersed and headed home around midnight. 

The protests were sparked by a statement from Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, in which he announced that the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party had decided not to include the issue of EU accession talks in its agenda until the end of 2028 and to reject all EU budget grants. 

The prime minister said that the reasons for this decision were constant pressure from the EU regarding the start of accession talks, demands to repeal several laws passed by parliament, and calls for sanctions against Georgian authorities.

By Naila Huseynova