Second Night of EU Supporters' Protests in Georgia; Police Fired Tear Gas

Thousands of people in Georgia protested against the government's decision to suspend negotiations for EU membership for the second consecutive night in central Tbilisi, leading to clashes with police. The protests on Friday evening, December 9, took place in front of the Georgian Parliament building in Tbilisi, similar to the previous night. According to Reuters, the protests on Friday evening featured demonstrators holding Georgian and EU flags, but police forces acted shortly before midnight to disperse the protesters by firing tear gas and using water cannons. Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Georgia and a staunch critic of the ruling party, described the police's attacks on protesters and journalists as 'brutal' and referred to it as 'Russian-style repression.' Zourabichvili wrote on social media platform X, 'These actions will not be forgiven. Those responsible for resorting to violence must be held accountable.' The number of injuries and potential arrests from the protests on Friday evening has not yet been reported, but the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that 43 people were detained the night before. Additionally, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, over 30 individuals who were beaten by police or affected by water cannons were hospitalized on the first night of protests. Furthermore, 112 diplomats from Georgia and several employees from other government institutions released letters and statements declaring the suspension of EU membership negotiations as unconstitutional and criticized the use of violence against protesters and journalists. Meanwhile, the Council of Europe condemned the 'brutal suppression of protests' in Tbilisi and described the Georgian government's decision to delay the EU membership process as concerning. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also stated that the Georgian government's decision and the use of force against peaceful protests 'indicate a limitation of democratic processes in Georgia to please Moscow.' A new wave of protests in Georgia began after Irakli Kobakhidze, the Prime Minister, announced on Thursday that the government would suspend negotiations for EU membership until 2028. He accused the EU of 'permanent interference or blackmail' in the country and added, 'Georgia will only join the EU through peace, dignity, and prosperity. This is a promise to the people of Georgia that we intend to fulfill.' These remarks immediately provoked a strong reaction from President Zourabichvili, leading thousands of protesters to take to the streets. Relations between the Georgian government and the EU have soured in recent months following the approval of a controversial 'foreign agent' law in Georgia. Critics say this law, similar to Russia's, was enacted to threaten media and civil society. This deterioration was exacerbated when the ruling party, 'Georgian Dream,' announced it had won 54% of the votes in the parliamentary elections. The Georgian opposition has rejected the announced results, citing violations and Russian influence in the elections. The European Parliament recently passed a resolution rejecting the results of the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia and condemned multiple violations and 'disorder' in the electoral process. Critics of the 'Georgian Dream' party accuse it of following Russian policies and distancing itself from the EU. Georgia has a population of about 3.7 million, and according to polls, over 80% of its citizens want to join the EU. Irakli Kobakhidze, during his confidence vote for his cabinet in parliament, stated that his government's goal was to join the EU by 2030; however, he said on Friday that this goal remains his 'number one priority.'