Protests in Tbilisi to resume later today, tents still open on Rustaveli Avenue
The opposition say that rallies will continue until the government ‘keeps its promise’ and allows the conduct of the 2020 parliamentary elections per the proportional electoral system. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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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.
The government will not frighten people by such detentions,” the leader of the Republican Party David Berdzenishvili said, whose son Zuka Berdzenishvili is among the detainees.
About ten tents are open on the avenue with several demonstrators who spent the night there.
The avenue is open to traffic for now.
Police said that demonstrators violated the law on assembly and used water cannons to disperse rally yesterday. Photo: Reuters.
The dispersal left six injured, four demonstrators and two law enforcers.
On November 14 parliament rejected the ruling party proposed election bill regarding the transition to a fully proportional voting starting 2020 instead of 2024.
The bill was scrapped as 40 MPs of the ruling party either voted against or abstained from voting for the bill.
The demonstrators are accusing the current state leadership of "breaking its promise and cheating people" as the ruling party accepted the conduct of 2020 parliamentary elections on a fully proportional electoral system in the summer, during June protests in Tbilisi.
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.
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.
Protest rally, triggered by the parliament’s rejection of an electoral bill aimed at moving from a mixed system to a proportional one, has resumed on Monday evening after police used water cannon to disperse the demonstration. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry reported that a total of 37 people have been detained, while four demonstrator ansd two law enforcers - injured during the dispersal.