Photo: Giorgi Arjevanidze Agence France-Presse Thousands of people gather for a third night of protests against the government's decision to suspend EU accession talks until 2028, near the parliament building in Tbilisi, November 30, 2024.
Léa Dauple – Agence France-Presse and Irakli Metreveli – Agence France-Presse
Published at 14:55
- Europe
Thousands of pro-European demonstrators took to the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia, on Saturday for a third consecutive night of protests against the government, which the opposition accuses of diverting the country from its ambitions to join the EU.
The two previous demonstrations, on Thursday evening and Friday evening, were dispersed using water cannons and tear gas by the police, who also made more than a hundred arrests.
The protests were sparked by the government's decision, accused of pro-Russian authoritarianism, to postpone discussions on the integration of the Caucasian country into the EU until 2028. The opposition is also contesting the results of the October legislative elections, which gave victory to the ruling Russian Dream party. Georgian.
On Saturday evening, the streets of the centre of the capital of the Caucasian country, near the parliament, were filled with protesters, many holding EU and Georgian flags, AFP journalists saw.
“My future depends on what Georgia does now,” said one protester, Anna Kaulashvili, 22, with a Georgian flag around her shoulders. She assures that she devotes as much time as possible to the demonstrations, even if it means sacrificing leisure time, and even work.
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“We don't have time to do what we like, to relax,” she says, referring to her very engaged generation. “All we care about is what's happening here.”
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On Thursday and Friday, nighttime demonstrations had already brought together several thousand people in Tbilisi and other cities across the country. They were dispersed by force by the police, who announced that they had arrested nearly 150 people in two days for “disobedience” and “vandalism”, while at least 42 police officers were injured.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze thanked the police on Saturday, who according to him “defended the constitutional order of Georgia yesterday and safeguarded the sovereignty and independence of the nation”.
Georgians interviewed by AFP in Tbilisi on Saturday were divided on the movement. Tamar Gelashvili, a 39-year-old bank employee, has demonstrated and plans to continue, while fearing more violence.
“I fear that many people will be hurt, but I am not afraid to stand here,” she explained in front of Parliament.
“We will not return to Russia, even if it costs us our lives,” assures Nounou Jorbenadze, green cap, head held high and energetic voice. At 64, she assures us that she will take part in the demonstrations.
A little further away, Aza Aloublichvili, a 77-year-old retiree, listens cautiously. Loyal to the government, she considers that “these are not demonstrations, they are violence.”
Kakha Tchotchoua, a 55-year-old security guard, has only harsh words for the opposition, “traitors” who, according to him, represent only a tiny proportion of Georgians.
The movement has nevertheless begun to spread beyond the streets. Hundreds of civil servants, including from the foreign, defense and education ministries, as well as judges, have issued joint statements in protest.
Some 160 Georgian diplomats have criticized the government’s decision to postpone the European integration process, saying it is unconstitutional and leads to the country’s “international isolation.”
More than a hundred schools and universities have suspended their activities in protest.
“Resistance Movement”
Despite its decision, the government assures that it wants to continue reforms and still intends to join the EU in 2030. The Prime Minister denounced “blackmail” by Brussels, while the European Parliament has called for new legislative elections.
Georgia officially obtained the status of candidate for EU membership in December 2023, but Brussels has since frozen the process, accusing the executive of committing a serious democratic setback.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has broken with the government but has only limited powers, said on Friday evening that “the resistance movement has begun”.
“We will remain united until Georgia achieves its objectives: to return to the European path and obtain new elections,” declared this former French diplomat who refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the Parliament resulting from the October legislative elections.
France called on Friday for “respect for the right to demonstrate peacefully” and stressed “support for the European aspirations” of Georgia, “which must not be betrayed.”
The Council of Europe condemned the “brutal repression of the demonstrations” and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) denounced “the disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force” by the police.