Politics Thousands protest again in Georgia for Europe course

For the second evening in a row, large crowds protested in Georgia against the government's decision to suspend EU accession negotiations. According to the news portal OC Media, several tens of thousands of people gathered in the capital Tbilisi. Other observers confirmed that there were significantly more demonstrators on the streets than on Thursday evening. Pro-European rallies were also reported from Batumi, Sugdidi and other cities in the South Caucasus republic.

In Tbilisi, the police once again deployed large forces and attempted to forcibly disperse the demonstrators from the main street, Rustaveli Prospekt. They had already used pepper spray and water cannons the night before and arrested 43 people.

The protest, which has been flaring up again and again for months, was sparked this time by the fact that the national-conservative government has put negotiations on EU accession on hold until 2028. However, accession to the European Union has constitutional status in the ex-Soviet republic; the vast majority of the population is in favor of it. The ruling Georgian Dream party, however, sees Brussels' criticism of its increasingly authoritarian course as interference and blackmail. The opposition, on the other hand, fears that turning away from Europe will give Russia more influence in Georgia.

SDA