10 detained at parliament as police removes protesters’ tents

Ten individuals, mostly civic activists, have been detained at parliament in Tbilisi late yesterday for disobedience to police and hooliganism as police removed tents from the scene and set up New Year attractions for children instead. 

Member of the civic movement Shame Giga Makarashvili says that Zuka Berdzenishvili, Beka Kokaia, Beka Basilaia and Romeo Parulava are among the detainees. 

 Makarashvili says that demonstrators have plans to try to open their tents at parliament later today, adding that demonstrations for fully proportional electoral system will resume after the New Year's holidays.

Rallies in Tbilisi were sparked after parliament rejected the ruling party-proposed election bill in mid-November. 

The bill would have allowed for the early transition to a fully proportional system starting from 2020 instead of the scheduled 2024. 

The opposition and civic activists are accusing the government of “deliberately rejecting” the bill.