Crowds of demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Friday to mark a year of continuous protests against the government’s decision to halt EU membership talks. Thousands marched along Rustaveli Avenue, carrying drums, placards, and flags.
The protests began on 28 November 2024, after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of EU talks, prompting thousands to rally outside Parliament and in other cities. Although the number of protesters has decreased, daily gatherings continue.
Protester Sopo Batilashvili criticised the government for undermining the future fought for by previous generations, The Associated Press reports. In response, the ruling Georgian Dream party has tightened rules on public assemblies and passed laws targeting rights groups and independent media, drawing parallels to similar legislation in Russia.
New regulations impose harsh penalties: wearing masks or blocking roads can lead to up to 15 days in detention for protesters and 20 days for organisers. Fines for first-time offenders have increased from 500 to 5,000 lari (approximately €160 and €1,600). Many have been detained under these laws, including Rusiko Kobakhidze, a mother of nine who has protested daily and was arrested twice in November for blocking streets.
“For my children and grandchildren, I don’t want a country where they cannot speak openly, where they will be treated unjustly and won’t find justice,” she told The Associated Press.
Authorities have increased pressure on opposition parties in Georgia. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court seeking to ban the country’s three main opposition groups: the United National Movement, the Akhali/Coalition for Change, and Lelo. Several opposition leaders are currently jailed, in exile, or facing what many critics describe as politically motivated criminal charges. Tina Bokuchava, the chairperson of the United National Movement, stated that the ruling party, founded by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who made his fortune in Russia, is “essentially fulfilling every single strategic objective that Vladimir Putin had concerning Georgia.” Despite the suspension of accession talks with the European Union, officials from Georgian Dream continue to assert that the country’s commitment to a European path remains unchanged.
“Our foreign policy is EU integration and NATO integration. Nothing has paused and nothing has changed in that regard,” said ruling party lawmaker Mariam Lashkhi. She added that international pressure should not influence “internal social economic development policy.”
The EU enlargement report issued on 4 November highlighted democratic backsliding by Georgian authorities, stating that their “repressive” actions are “fundamentally incompatible with EU values of democracy.”
This article used information from The Associated Press.
