Title: Unrest Continues in Tbilisi Amid Demands for Fresh Elections
In the heart of Georgia, anti-establishment demonstrators have reignited their protests across various parts of Tbilisi on November 19. This immediate response follows the forceful removal of a protest camp by the authorities earlier on the same day. The camp was set up by the protesters in the capital city of the Caucasus nation.
In a bid to voice their dissent, the demonstrators gathered at several crucial intersections and the State University in Tbilisi around 7 p.m. One of the coordinators, Elene Khoshtaria from the pro-West Coalition for Change, expressed their determination to continue the protest, stating, “We will not take a single step backward.”
Asserting the firmness of their stance, Khoshtaria announced, “We have declared a resistance movement, and this movement will only go forward,” she added that they believe that the police, the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party, and Russia will eventually leave their country.
The protestors have been seeking a re-run of the parliamentary elections, alleging widespread corruption and Russian intervention in the October 26 elections. The Georgian Dream party, which has been in power since 2012, emerged victorious in these polls.
During the early hours of the day, around 7 a.m., Georgian police began to forcefully disband the protest held at the university. They detained at least 16 people and dismantled the tents which served as shelter for the protesters from the cold, who were demanding a fresh set of elections.
The Interior Ministry informed RFE/RL that the detained individuals were accused of disobeying lawful police orders and minor hooliganism. Three of them were released later without any charges.
Video footage from Tbilisi showed law enforcement officers forcibly subduing and dragging away protestors, including women. Among those detained was Sergi Baramidze, a cameraman for the opposition channel Mtavari, who was beaten and had his camera destroyed.
The city of Tbilisi has been a hotbed of protests since the elections, especially on November 17-18. Protestors marched through the city center, obstructing a main avenue, and setting up campsites at central locations.
In the aftermath of the police raid, several detainees were released, including Maya Gogidze, a member of the opposition political group Lelo. She recounted her experience of the police raid to RFE/RL, describing the brutal force used by law enforcement.
On the same day, President Salome Zurabishvili, who supports the protesters and has refused to acknowledge the October 26 vote, filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court seeking to nullify the election results on grounds of being unconstitutional.
The recent wave of protests was sparked when Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) confirmed the results of the disputed elections on November 16. Official results showed that the Georgian Dream party won 53.93 percent of the vote, while an opposition alliance secured 37.79 percent.
The pro-European opposition has refused to acknowledge the new parliament and its mandates from the October 26 vote, alleging widespread fraud and Russian interference.
EU and other Western officials have voiced serious concerns about the elections and perceived irregularities. Although Georgia has been a candidate for EU membership since last year, progress has been stalled due to a “foreign influence” law and anti-LGBT measures.
In July, the United States announced a pause on more than $95 million in aid to the Georgian government, warning that it was deviating from the path of democracy.
