Demonstrations: Georgia’s police report over 100 arrests after protests

The police in the South Caucasus republic of Georgia say they arrested 107 people during protests last night in the capital Tbilisi alone. “Despite the repeated calls from representatives of the Ministry of Interior, the action on Rustaveli Prospect in front of the Georgian Parliament building repeatedly violated the norms established by the law on meetings and rallies,” the ministry said in a statement. Demonstrators threw stones at police officers, built barricades and burned objects. The protests were triggered by what the opposition believes were falsified elections and the government’s announcement that it would put accession talks with the EU on hold.

According to eyewitnesses, the demonstrations that night were the largest in recent weeks. Tens of thousands are said to have taken part in Tbilisi, and there were also demonstrations in other cities. There is great discontent; according to surveys, the majority of the population is in favor of joining the EU, which is also set out as a goal in the constitution.

According to the police report, ten officers were injured in the clashes. One of them is still in the hospital. The authorities did not provide any information on the number of injured demonstrators. Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd.

At the end of October, the ruling Georgian Dream party secured a majority in controversial parliamentary elections. After heavy criticism – including from Brussels – about the conduct of the election, but also about the government’s increasingly authoritarian course, Prime Minister Iraqi Kobachidze announced that he would suspend EU accession negotiations with the EU until 2028.

Georgian Dream sees the Brussels criticism as interference and blackmail. The opposition, in turn, fears that turning away from Europe will give Russia more influence in Georgia.

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed her solidarity with the demonstrators. They held up the EU flag to the police’s water cannons, she wrote on Platform X. Candidate status is a historic opportunity for Georgia. “It is up to the government to hear the voice of their country,” she demanded.