Public protest held in Georgia’s capital, western cities following Govt’s announcement of halt of EU accession talks

Public protests are being held on Friday outside the Georgian Parliament in the country’s capital Tbilisi and in the Black Sea city of Batumi and western cities of Kutaisi and Zugdidi, with domestic opposition parties, non-governmental organisations, civil activists and citizens involved in a rally.

The protest comes against the Government’s decision to halt the state’s European Union accession talks until 2028.

The country’s Interior Ministry on Friday said law enforcement officers were mobilised outside the Parliament in Tbilisi to “protect public order”, adding despite “numerous appeals” to protesters urging them to remain the demonstration within the legal boundaries some individuals confronted and verbally insulted the law enforcement officers.

The participants also damaged exterior building lightings and other equipment of the Parliament, while also setting fire to electrical wiring, the body added.

The Ministry noted “unidentified objects” were thrown in the direction of law enforcement officers, with one officer injured. The body called on the participants to refrain from illegal actions and follow the instructions of the officers “otherwise, the Ministry will act within its mandate defined by law and will use the measures provided by the legislation of Georgia”.

Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze on Friday urged citizens “not to go beyond the limits defined by the law”, by stating the law enforcement officers would “resort to special means of coercion envisioned by international law and Georgian legislation to prevent violent actions”.

Darakhvelidze called on rally participants and organisers to “refrain from possessing any object or substance” that created an “actual risk of disrupting the peaceful nature of the assembly”.

Levan Ioseliani, the Public Defender of the country, on Thursday called the rally “peaceful” and later criticised the law enforcement's handling of the protests, highlighting allegations of excessive force, interference with journalists, and mistreatment of citizens.