Over 100 protesters were arrested in Georgia amid clashes with police following the government's decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union.
The protests erupted in Georgia for the second straight night in a row after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the Georgian Dream Party announced the decision that the country won't pursue talks with the EU, or seek assistance till 2028.
Thousands took to the streets in Georgia after the government decided it would suspend EU membership talks. pic.twitter.com/yMxqguaNDa
— DW News (@dwnews) November 30, 2024
Protesters clashed with police in regions including Tbilisi and the Black Sea port of Batumi.
Riot police used water cannons to disperse the protesters away from the building.
Georgia is truly remarkable, as is its society!
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) November 29, 2024
It's evident in every way- no one is willing to accept a Russified Georgia, a Georgia deprived of its constitution, or a Georgia under an illegitimate government & parliament
That's why so many of you are out here today- I see you pic.twitter.com/rQKulYmKPS
Georgian Dream's disputed victory in the country's October 26 parliamentary election has sparked massive demonstrations and led to an opposition boycott of the parliament.
Kobakhidze's election victory was widely seen as a referendum on Georgia's aspirations to join the EU.
The opposition has said that the vote was rigged with the help of Russia, with the hope of keeping Tbilisi in its orbit.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili joined protesters on Thursday after accusing the government of declaring war on its own people.
Zourabichvili urged the police not to use force against protesters.
This is evident in every way no one is willing to accept a Russified Georgia, a Georgia deprived of its constitution, or a Georgia in the hands of an illegitimate government and parliament, Zourabichvili said.
The government's announcement of delaying EU talks came after the European Parliament adopted a resolution that condemned last month's vote as neither free nor fair.
The election represented another manifestation of Georgia's continued democratic backsliding for which the ruling Georgian Dream party is fully responsible, it said.
The EU granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that it meet the bloc's recommendations. However, it had put the accession on hold and cut financial support earlier this year after the passage of a foreign influence law widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms.
EU lawmakers urged a rerun of the parliamentary vote within a year under the supervision of an independent election administration. They also called on the EU to impose sanctions and limit formal contacts with the Georgian government.
Kobakhidze denounced the insults from the EU politicians and said the European Parliament is blackmailing Georgia.
