Several thousand Georgians gathered for the twelfth night in a row in front of the parliament in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. to protest against the government's decision to abandon the country's European ambitions and against what is perceived as the authoritarian pro-Russian bias of the rulers, reported AFP, quoted by BTA.
On November 28, Georgia's pro-Russian government decided to postpone the country's EU membership, sparking a wave of protests in Tbilisi and other cities.
Tonight, protesters waved the EU flag, blew trumpets and carried placards with anti-government slogans. Near “Freedom Square” about 500 meters from the parliament, water cannons of the anti-riot forces were deployed.
During the day, the municipal authorities of Tbilisi placed a Christmas tree in front of the parliament and removed the photos of the alleged victims of police violence during the protests that demonstrators had placed there. Some of the protesters perceived the Christmas decorations as inappropriate at a time of protests.
According to the Interior Ministry, more than 400 demonstrators have been arrested since November 28 during the protests, with most of them detained for what the department said were insubordination and vandalism, and more than 30 people were arrested for incitement. to violence.
There were many cases of police violence during the protests. Protesters and journalists fell victim to it. The cases were documented by the opposition and non-governmental organizations. These repressions were criticized by Tbilisi's international partners.
Tbilisi's government, despite delaying Georgia's EU accession, says it still wants the country to become part of the bloc by 2030. and accuses the opposition and protesters of wanting to cause a revolution and of being financed from abroad.