Protests in Tbilisi over the Georgian government's decision to suspend negotiations on joining the European Union have not subsided for the fifth day in a row. The police again used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament
U Tbilisi the police also tried to break up the demonstration with tear gas and water cannons on Monday evening. In the previous days, more than 200 people were arrested protesting because the Georgian government suspended negotiations on membership in the European Union for four years, AP reports.
News of the day in Georgia was that after clashes between protesters and the police in the capital, Zurab Japaridze, one of the leaders of the opposition "Coalition for Change", was arrested, but was released later in the day.
"I'm out," Japaridze said in a message on social media. Although he was released from custody, it did not calm the thousands of demonstrators who protested in the center of Tbilisi for the fifth day in a row.
Law enforcement used water cannons and tear gas to drive them away from the parliament building, where they have gathered every evening since the ruling Georgian Dream party - which its opponents accuse of falsifying the results of recent parliamentary elections - announced a break in negotiations with the European Union and would not even to use financial resources from the EU budget.
🚨🇬🇪GEORGIA ARRESTS OPPOSITION LEADER
Zurab Japaridze was arrested after taking part in anti-government protests outside parliament.
The Georgian government's decision to suspend negotiations to join the European Union have sparked protests across the country in recent days.… pic.twitter.com/B6SyFWxFOS
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 2, 2024
Disputed elections
The contested election was seen as a referendum on Georgia's European aspirations. Their results brought the citizens to the streets, and pushed the opposition to boycott the work of the parliament.
The pro-Western president of the country, Salome Zurabishvili, does not recognize the election results and, together with the opposition, accuses Georgian Dream of falsifying the election results with the support of the Russian authorities.
Rustaveli must be gay before you get to freedom! ✌️
#GeorgiaProtests pic.twitter.com/uk3YeVeMdn— ᎶᎥᎧᏒᎶᎥ 🇬🇪🇪🇺 (@Made_in_Georgia) December 2, 2024
Mass arrests
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that 224 protesters were arrested for violations, and three for crimes.
So far, 116 police officers have been injured in the riots, of which three have been hospitalized. Demonstrators attacked police officers with pyrotechnic devices used to make fireworks.
President Zurabishvili claims that many of the arrested protesters have head injuries, including broken bones and bruised eyeballs. Referring to the lawyers representing the arrested, she said that some of them were systematically beaten.
Maja Odrčić Mikulić, head of Međimurje, said that she wants to be a bridge between Croats and Roma. "It is a subjective feeling, many of my Roma people who stand behind me say that I have always been theirs and that my soul is Roma," she explained.
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