Mon Dec 02 14:57:01 UTC 2024: ## Nationwide Protests Erupt in Georgia After EU Accession Talks Suspended
TBILISI, GEORGIA — Widespread protests have gripped Georgia for a fifth consecutive night, sparked by the government’s decision to halt talks with the European Union for four years. The move, announced last Thursday by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, has ignited widespread outrage and clashes between protesters and police in Tbilisi and at least eight other cities and towns.
Tens of thousands have taken to the streets in Tbilisi, engaging in confrontations with police involving fireworks, water cannons, and tear gas. The unrest has spread beyond the capital, with reports of protests blocking access to the Black Sea port of Poti and demonstrators targeting the ruling Georgian Dream party’s offices in Khashuri.
President Salome Zourabichvili, in a stark condemnation of the government’s actions, accused Russia of orchestrating a hybrid strategy to assert control over Georgia. She appealed to European countries for “clear moral and political support,” characterizing the protests as “the revolt of an entire country.” Her concerns are amplified by the influx of Russian citizens fleeing conscription since the start of the war in Ukraine, a situation that has fueled anxieties about Russian influence in Georgia.
The Georgian Dream party, founded by a Russian-based billionaire, has been accused by the opposition and Western observers of pursuing increasingly pro-Russian and authoritarian policies. The party’s recent victory in the October parliamentary elections, widely contested as rigged, has further fueled the ongoing tensions. The government, however, claims the protests are orchestrated attempts to overthrow the constitutional order.
The protests have resulted in injuries to both police officers and protesters. The US has condemned the alleged excessive use of force by Georgian police, while the country’s public ombudsman reported a disturbing number of complaints of police brutality against arrested demonstrators. The situation has also led to the resignations of at least four Georgian ambassadors and widespread condemnation from diplomats and civil servants.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin has defended the government’s actions, drawing parallels between the Georgian protests and the 2014 Maidan protests in Ukraine. This latest escalation highlights the deep divisions within Georgia and the precarious balance between its aspirations for closer ties with Europe and the persistent shadow of Russian influence.
First Piper 