В Грузии снова разогнали многотысячный протест, в результате чего десятки людей пострадали, а сотни были задержаны.

This is reported by “Echo of the Caucasus”, Newsgeorgia, and JAM News.

As on the previous day, protesters are being dispersed using water cannons and tear gas, with journalists among the injured. Meanwhile, the demonstrators attempted to construct barricades from anything available: benches, trash bins, tires, and even electric scooters.

The protesters tried to fend off police attacks, and in addition to building barricades, they launched fireworks towards the security forces to keep them at bay.

Videos captured moments of the beating of already injured protesters due to clashes. Dozens of demonstrators sustained injuries.

The protest lasted a total of seven hours. During this time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia reported the detention of 107 protesters. In total, around 150 protesters have been arrested over the past two days. Additionally, 10 law enforcement officers were reportedly injured.

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, described the scale of the current protests as “unprecedented” and urged the police “not to raise their hands” against the demonstrators.

“Neither on [Rustaveli Avenue] nor in other cities is there anything that requires your involvement and dispersal, therefore, the responsibility for all this lies solely with you and your superiors. Let your superiors think about this,” she addressed the law enforcement officials.

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 for potential crimes related to the parliamentary elections. In particular, charges have been brought against two suspects who threw a whole stack 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 ones. However, the Tbilisi court dismissed all claims from opposition political forces and civil organizations that sought to invalidate the final protocols of the district commissions.

The opposition parties in Georgia announced a prolonged street protest demanding new parliamentary elections.

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

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