Thousands of Georgians continued to protest in the streets of the capital Tbilisi on Tuesday against the government’s decision to suspend accession talks with the European Union. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
Demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament on the 13th night in a row, where they waved EU and Georgian flags. Protests in Georgia began after parliamentary elections on October 26, in which, according to official results, the ruling pro-Russian party Georgian Dream won with almost 54 percent of the vote. The West claims that the election was marred by irregularities. The pro-Western opposition and President Salome Zourabišvili did not recognize the results and accused the ruling party of large-scale electoral fraud.
Demonstrations after the interruption of negotiations with the EU
The intensification of the demonstration occurred after Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze announced on November 28 the suspension of EU accession negotiations until 2028. According to AFP, critics of the Georgian Dream are outraged that the ruling party, according to them, has betrayed the country’s quest for EU membership enshrined in the constitution.
During the protests, there are also violent clashes with the police, who use water cannons and tear gas against the protesters. It has already detained more than 400 people, including the leaders of two opposition parties. The police actions caused outrage at home and abroad, while they were condemned by France, the United States, Germany and Britain, which also announced on Monday that it was suspending all aid to the Georgian government. Georgia’s prime minister has repeatedly claimed that the police prevented the attempted revolution, AFP reported.
More problems are expected on Saturday
The European Union announced in a statement on Tuesday that foreign ministers of EU member states will meet next Monday in Brussels to discuss “additional measures” against Georgian authorities in connection with reports of violence against protesters.
The EU condemned the repressive measures against protesters, media representatives and opposition leaders and called for the immediate release of all detainees. According to the statement of the Eurobloc, the actions of the Georgian authorities have consequences for bilateral relations with Georgia, writes AFP.
Georgia’s State Security Service said on Tuesday it expects more trouble ahead of Saturday (December 14), when members of the Georgian parliament elect a new head of state. According to AFP, the security service said without any evidence that “violent groups” were planning to “escalate” their actions in an attempt to stop the vote. The president rejected this claim and described it as an attempt to “psychologically terrorize people”.
