Pro-European rally in Tbilisi draws thousands ahead of key elections

A large-scale opposition protest unfolded in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, on the evening of October 20, with Freedom Square serving as the epicentre of the demonstration.

Organizers reported that participants converged on the square from several directions, calling for the country's commitment to European integration, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"We want to show all of Europe that the Georgian people choose European integration. There should be many of us to send a message to our Western partners that Georgia is choosing Europe," declared one of the event's organizers, Nino Lomjaria, to the assembled crowds and media.

The protest gained further significance when Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announced her intention to join the rally, a move seen as a strong gesture of support for the demonstrators' cause. “I am confident that there will be many of us tomorrow. I will be with you, and we will say ‘no’ to one-party rule, polarization, and hatred toward one another,” she stated the day before the event.

The number of participants remains difficult to estimate, as columns of protesters arrived from five different directions in the city. Many had travelled from various regions of Georgia to join the demonstration in support of Georgia’s pro-European path.

This rally takes place just days before the highly anticipated parliamentary elections on October 26, which are widely seen as a referendum on Georgia’s future direction. The vote is expected to determine whether the country will continue its trajectory towards the European Union or risk returning to Russia’s sphere of influence.

In 2022, Georgia was granted candidate status by the EU, signalling the country’s potential membership in the bloc. However, opposition groups argue that the ruling Georgian Dream party has since jeopardized these prospects by weakening the country’s democratic institutions and drifting away from European standards.

As the election approaches, tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets to voice their support for EU accession, emphasizing that the outcome of the vote will be critical in shaping the nation’s future.

By Khagan Isayev