Georgian protesters welcomed the new year in front of the parliament building. A table stretching hundreds of meters was set up in Tbilisi’s main artery, where the two spent the last moments of 2024 eating and talking. Just before midnight, demonstrators also gathered in front of the Guldani prisoners, waiting for the release of their loved ones.
Crowds gathered in front of the Georgian Parliament and along Rustaveli Street. Despite the ban, the sky lit up with fireworks. There are adults, there are teenagers, and there are children. Many carried Georgian and EU flags. The entire street is lit up with garlands of Christmas lights. You can hear the sound of the vuvuzela and the whistle. The crowd chants “Long live Georgia.”
A long table united the demonstrators. Georgians brought sweets, fruits and drinks. Offer each other snacks and talk with family and friends. The tables are covered with red and white tablecloths, the colors of the Georgian flag.
See: Anti-government protests in Georgia. People formed a “chain of solidarity”
Demonstrators write wishes on them. The 7-year-old boy drew a distinctive cross from the flag, with the words “Georgia Victory” inscribed above it. “There is no room for the Georgian dream here. We want freedom and the EU,” Dawid wrote.
Protests in Georgia. “All bad things must end.”
Anti-government slogans and laser lights were displayed at the Capitol. The ban on the latter’s use was introduced on Monday as one of the first laws approved by Georgia’s new president, ruling party representative Mikheil Kavelashvili.
– This year has been a very difficult year for us. We are fighting for freedom, democracy and the future of the European Union. We have enough strength and determination to continue our protests in the coming days and weeks, Gulam, a medical student, told PAP.
See also: Georgia has a new president. Large-scale protests in the background
Mariami admitted that she is looking to 2025 with great hope. – Bad things must end. I believe that in the near future there will be a change in the political arena and real parliamentary elections will be held without fraud, she added.
Georgia. Touching moment in front of Tbilisi prison
Before midnight, a protest was also held in front of Tbilisi’s Gurdani Prison. Those gathered included family members of people detained by police during previous demonstrations. Many shed tears as they thought of their loved ones who had been arrested. Protesters carried portraits of detainees, candles, and fireworks.
See: Georgia protests. “Arrested demonstrators return to protest activities”
Demonstrators called for the release of those detained by police during anti-government demonstrations, and the names of all political prisoners, estimated at 27, were read out in front of the prison gate.
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