Fresh protests in Georgia after PM vows to ‘eradicate’ opposition

Police forces secure the parliament building as anti-government protesters rally for an eighth consecutive day of mass demonstrations against the government's postponement of European Union accession talks until 2028, in central Tbilisi early on December 6, 2024. (AFP)

TBILISI: Thousands of people rallied across Georgia on Thursday for a second week of pro-EU protests, after the prime minister threatened to “eradicate” the country’s “liberal-fascist” opposition.
Tbilisi has been rocked by turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party, which critics accuse of creeping authoritarianism and leading the country back toward Russia, claimed victory in a disputed election in October.
The government said last Thursday that it would suspend EU membership talks until 2028, sparking a fresh wave of demonstrations that have been met with a heavy-handed response from authorities.
As protesters took to the streets for the eighth consecutive night, there was no clear way out of the crisis, with the government escalating its feud with the opposition and demonstrations reported in several cities.
In the capital, Tbilisi, turnout was lower than in the previous days but while some worried the movement might be losing steam, most of those in attendance were upbeat.
“This government has to change as they just don’t care about us, about future generations,” said Mano, a 23-year-old who declined to give her full name and was among thousands that gathered outside parliament.
As on previous nights, some demonstrators banged on the metal barriers blocking the parliament’s entrance, waved EU flags and loudly blew horns and whistles.
Some held signs reading “your repression will finish you” as a green laser beam projected a hand in a v-for-victory sign on the building facade, an AFP reporter witnessed.
Ucha, a 42-year-old doctor who also gave only his first name, said it was normal for numbers to dwindle — noting he had not seen his children in a week, having come to protest every day after work.
“Of course we are a little bit tired,” he said. “We need a little rest, and then we will be back again.” Others said they expected numbers to pick up again at the weekend.
Protests were also held in cities including Batumi, Zugdidi, and Kutaisi, local media reported.
Video footage shared on social media showed a teenager in the latter city lying on the ground, semi-conscious, as protesters accused the police of using excessive force against him.
The interior ministry said five people were arrested in Tbilisi and Kutaisi’s Imereti region.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down, saying earlier the government would “do everything necessary to completely eradicate liberal fascism in Georgia.”
“This process has already begun,” he told reporters, using language reminiscent of that used by the Kremlin in Russia to target its political opponents.
Masked police raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders, while around 300 people have been detained over the last week.
Rights ombudsman Levan Ioseliani has accused the police of “torture” against those arrested, saying on Thursday 191 protesters detained over the past week had reported mistreatment in custody, with 138 showing visible injuries.
Opposition leader Nika Gvaramia of the Akhali party was beaten during a police raid Wednesday, with television footage showing him, apparently unconscious, being carried away by masked security forces.
Another detained opposition politician, Alexandre Elisashvili, was hospitalized with “serious injuries” he allegedly sustained in custody, his Strong Georgia opposition alliance said.
The United States and other countries have denounced Georgia’s crackdown, with Washington threatening additional sanctions against the country’s leaders.
Critics of the government are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Georgia’s bid for EU membership, which is enshrined in its constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population.
Several ambassadors, a deputy foreign minister, and other officials have resigned over the decision to suspend EU accession talks
The protests have drawn comparisons with the 2014 pro-EU revolution in Ukraine that ousted a Moscow-backed president.
Announcing sanctions against Georgia’s leadership in a video message on Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Kobakhidze and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely seen as the country’s de facto leader, for “handing Georgia over to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”