Rome (ANSA) – For the fourth night in a row, thousands of pro-EU demonstrators gathered in the streets of Georgia, only to be met by police who dispersed the crowds using water cannons and tear gas on Rustaveli Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Tbilisi outside Parliament. Pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili has stated she will not resign until new parliamentary elections are held following the disputed elections on October 26, in which the pro-Russian party Georgian Dream emerged victorious.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze issued an eviction notice stating, “On December 29, the president must vacate her residence and hand the building over to the duly elected president,” while asserting that he does not plan to return to the polls. The protests intensified on Thursday amid rising tensions between the ruling party and opposition groups, who accuse the government of adopting increasingly authoritarian, anti-Western, and pro-Russian policies, particularly after Kobakhidze announced a delay in Georgia’s EU accession process.
Reuters has noted indications that the protests are spreading across the nation. Reports from Georgian media indicate demonstrations in at least eight cities, with opposition channel Formula airing footage showing residents in Khashuri, a central Georgian town with a population of around 20,000, throwing eggs at the local Georgian Dream office and tearing down the party’s flag.
Dmitri Medvedev, vice president of the Russian Security Council, has made insinuating comments that could be interpreted as threats, stating, “There are all the prerequisites for Georgia to descend back into civil war. In short, our neighbors are quickly heading down the Ukrainian path to disaster, which typically ends very poorly.” In contrast, Ursula Von der Leyen expressed solidarity, stating, “We stand with the Georgian people and their choice for a European future” against the government’s actions. She affirmed, “The EU door remains open. The direction of Georgia’s path back to the European Union lies with its leadership” (December 1).
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