Tens of thousands gathered outside the Georgian Parliament. Police are dispersing them with tear gas and water cannons.

This is reported by “Echo of the Caucasus” and News Georgia.

The dispersal of the demonstration began after protesters allegedly threw various objects at law enforcement officers, resulting in one police officer being injured. The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that the rally "exceeded the limits of peaceful assemblies".

The protesters were pushed away from the side entrance to the parliament building, where they intended to dismantle the barricade. During the dispersal, journalist Mariam Gaprindashvili from the opposition TV channel Pirveli was injured and taken to the hospital unconscious.

Additionally, reporter Fedor Khudokormov from the publication Paper Kartuli was beaten. According to him, members of the special forces injured his eyes.

In the footage he captured, special forces began to push back the protesters on Chichinadze Street near the parliament. At that moment, a masked man ran up to him and shoved him.

Georgia's President Salome Zourabichvili described the scale of the current protests as "unprecedented" and urged the police "not to raise their hands" against the protesters.

"Neither on [Rustaveli Avenue], nor in other cities is there anything that requires your involvement and dispersals, so the responsibility for all of this lies solely with you and your superiors. Let your superiors think about this too," she addressed the law enforcement officers.

What is happening in Georgia?

The Georgian opposition does not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections, in which the “Georgian Dream” party won. International observers noted that the voting was marred by unequal conditions, pressure, and tension. Georgian law enforcement has opened 47 criminal cases regarding possible crimes related to the parliamentary elections. In particular, charges were brought against two suspects who threw a whole pack of ballots into a ballot box at one of the polling stations.

The European Parliament did not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia and demanded new elections. However, the Tbilisi court dismissed all claims from opposition political forces and civil organizations demanding the annulment of the final protocols from the district commissions.

Opposition parties in Georgia announced an indefinite street protest demanding new parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, the “Georgian Dream” unilaterally approved a new parliament, set the date for presidential elections, nominated their candidate, and declared the refusal to negotiate EU accession until 2028.

This last decision ignited a new wave of protests, leading to clashes. At dawn on December 29, Georgian special forces violently dispersed a protest outside the parliament, and dozens of people, including journalists and politicians, were beaten and detained.