Pro-Western protests against the government in Georgia continued this evening, DPA reports, quoted by BTA.
Hours after former football player Mikhail Kavelashvili was sworn in as the country's new president, large groups of people gathered in the central streets of Tbilisi to protest against the government's anti-European course. There are currently no reports of clashes with the police, DPA adds.
The protests have been taking place daily for weeks now. Thousands of citizens are expressing their dissatisfaction, demanding a return to the country's pro-European orientation and a repeat of the October parliamentary elections, in which the ruling party “Georgian Dream“ was declared the winner.
The party, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, decided to freeze EU accession talks until 2028, which led to the protests that followed.
The incumbent pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili refused to recognize Kavelashvili's election and actively supported the protesters, calling for new elections. Zurabishvili left the presidential palace under pressure from the ruling party, but said she continued to maintain her legitimacy as head of state.