For the fourth consecutive night, protesters clashed with police in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, after the government’s decision to halt negotiations on joining the European Union. Thousands of demonstrators, armed with fireworks, faced tear gas and water cannons on Rustaveli Avenue, demanding a reversal of the controversial move. The ruling Georgian Dream party is accused of authoritarian tendencies and shifting the nation towards pro-Russian policies, sparking outrage among citizens who see the EU as key to their democratic future. Protests have now spread to several towns and cities, including a blockade of the main access road to the Black Sea port of Poti.
Opposition forces and Georgia’s pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili condemned the recent parliamentary elections, alleging they were rigged to consolidate power for Georgian Dream. Meanwhile, the EU and the U.S. have expressed concern over Georgia’s apparent drift away from its pro-Western orientation. The government’s four-year freeze on EU negotiations, coupled with the enactment of controversial laws targeting NGOs and LGBT rights, has intensified criticism that the country is stepping back from its democratic commitments.
As tensions rise, Russia has warned of potential turmoil, with former President Dmitry Medvedev comparing the unrest to Ukraine's revolution. The Kremlin, which has accused the West of engineering uprisings in former Soviet states, is closely monitoring the situation. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has dismissed international criticism, including Washington's decision to suspend a strategic partnership with Georgia, as foreign meddling in the country’s sovereignty.
Protesters, however, are undeterred, with opposition leaders urging workers to demand paid leave to attend demonstrations. Citizens in towns such as Khashuri have shown their defiance by targeting Georgian Dream offices with eggs, while activists in Tbilisi vowed to fight for their European future. Zourabichvili, whose term ends this month, has refused to cede her post to a successor chosen by what she calls an illegitimate parliament.
The government insists its actions are aimed at preserving national sovereignty and avoiding a Ukraine-like conflict with Russia. However, critics say this is a ploy to suppress dissent and tighten the ruling party’s grip on power. EU officials have thrown their support behind the demonstrators, reaffirming Georgia’s constitutional commitment to EU integration. The growing protests underscore the nation's internal struggle between its aspirations for Western alliances and its fraught relationship with neighboring Russia.
