Police reportedly detain several at parliament during rally dispersal
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Police have reportedly detained about 10 people during the dispersal of a rally in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi earlier today.
Radio Liberty reports the alleged detention of the leader of Girchi party Zurab Japaridze, member of the United National Movement opposition party Otar Siradze, activists Giga Maqarashvili and Zuka Berdzenishvili, lawyer Beka Basilaia and several others.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has used water cannon to disperse the rally in front of parliament in Tbilisi after demonstrators refused to leave the territory and allow MPs in the legislative body.
The demonstrators, who are protesting the rejection of an election bill, refused to leave the area within 30 minutes, in the time given to them by the Interior Ministry.
Water cannons were used after several-time warnings to demonstrators to leave the territory, as according to the Interior Ministry protesters violated the law on assembly and manifestation through blocking the entrances of parliament starting yesterday.
Before the usage of the water cannons officials of Tbilisi City Hall also urged demonstrators to leave the territory and stop hampering the parliament’s work.
The demonstrators are accusing the current state leadership of "breaking its promise and cheating people" as the Georgian Dream ruling party accepted the conduct of 2020 parliamentary elections with a fully proportional electoral system in the summer.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has used water cannon to disperse the rally in front of parliament in Tbilisi after demonstrators refused to leave the territory and allow MPs in the legislative body. The demonstrators, who are protesting the rejection of an election bill, refused to leave the area within 30 minutes, in the time given to them by the Interior Ministry.
Police have given 30 minutes to demonstrators to allow MPs in as the protesters have blocked all entrances of the legislative body starting yesterday, protesting the rejection of the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill on the move to a fully proportional electoral system, the Georgian Public Broadcaster reports.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has called on demonstrators demanding a fully proportional vote for the 2020 elections to stop blocking access to the parliament building. The ministry says that such actions are illegal, and that if the freedom of expression goes beyond the limits set by law, the police will respond appropriately.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has announced that they are ready to conduct the 2020 parliamentary elections on the proportional electoral system only, which has been one of the top demands of demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi since June 20.
Law enforcers have opened all three entrances of the Georgian parliament to MPs after the dispersal of a rally in central Tbilisi with the use of water cannon. IPN news agency reports that MPs are starting to gather in the parliament building and the ruling Georgian Dream party has plans to hold a meeting which should have been conducted earlier today.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has reported that 18 individuals have been detained during the dispersal of a rally at parliament earlier today for hooliganism and disobedience to police. The Georgian media has reported the detention “of about 10,” while the official number is 18. The ministry said that the work of the Georgian parliament has been restored and the central Rustaveli Avenue will reopen to traffic in the coming hours.
Protests sparked by the recent rejection by parliament to pass a bill on electoral reform will resume at 7 p.m. on central Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi after the rally was dispersed by police yesterday with the use of water cannons and saw 37 detained. Demonstrators are now assembled in front of Tbilisi City Court where the trial of the detainees will take place soon.
A ruling Georgian Dream (GD) majoritarian MP Dimitri Khundadze has offered the country to switch to a fully majoritarian electoral system amid protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the rejection of the GD-proposed bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.
All 37 individuals who were detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in front of the parliament building of Georgia for hooliganism and disobedience to police have been temporarily released by a Tbilisi City Court judge late yesterday.Discussions around the cases are scheduled to resume later today at the same court.