Leaders of Georgia's four opposition parties have called on people to take time off from Monday so they can take part in the protests, Eko Kavkaza (Radio Svoboda affiliate) reported. Anti-government demonstrations have occurred in Tbilisi and other cities across the country since November 28.
Opposition parties also called on employers to understand their employees' decisions and allow them to take time off. The statement was signed by a four-party coalition: United National Movement, Strong Georgia, Coalition for Change, and Gakharia for Georgia.
Schools and universities were closed on Monday. Teachers and university lecturers continue to strike against the government.
Georgia. Night of the fourth day of protests
During the night between Sunday and Monday, there were regular battles between demonstrators and special forces in front of the Georgian Parliament and on Rustaveli Street, the capital's main thoroughfare. Demonstrators used fireworks to attack police, who responded with water cannon and tear gas.
See also: Dmitry Medvedev wins Georgian presidency. “They are on the path of Ukraine.”
Bonfires were lit in central Tbilisi so protesters could warm and dry their wet clothes as temperatures dropped below zero degrees Celsius. A barricade was placed in front of the Georgian National Opera building and removed during morning prayers. The fourth night of protests ended before dawn, with demonstrations brutally suppressed both on the streets and in subway stations, and further arrests made. According to unofficial sources, a Georgian journalist was also among those detained.
Georgia. Those detained may also include minors.
The Interior Ministry said on Monday that 21 police officers were injured in the overnight actions of protesters. A total of 113 police officers were injured in the past four days. Four of them are still hospitalized. The ministry did not say how many protesters were injured.
At the same time, it was reported that the number of people detained in recent days has increased to 224. A statement from the Interior Ministry said the two men face up to seven years in prison for assaulting a police officer and damaging property. The remaining demonstrators were charged with resisting or committing hooligan crimes. Criminal proceedings are underway against three people for attempting to set fire to the Georgian parliament.
See also: Georgia is leaving the EU. The prime minister suspended accession negotiations.
Local media, citing Georgia's main non-governmental organization working on human rights issues, said minors and women were among those detained. According to information obtained by activists, detainees describe poor physical and psychological treatment by police.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced the creation of a special support fund for detained protesters at a meeting with representatives of opposition and non-governmental organizations on Sunday.
Georgia. Expert: authorities are moving to the Moscow method
“Georgian authorities, which theoretically won the last elections, are moving towards the Moscow style,” the professor commented. Agnieszka Legucka from the Polish Institute of International Affairs.
– For months, and in some cases years, the authorities have continued to declare their pro-European aspirations, as this was the demand of the people who wanted to introduce European standards in their country, but at the same time the government's policy I have acted contrary to this. European standard. One example, she recalled, was the adoption in 2012 of the Law on Foreign Agents, which was a copy-paste of the Russian model.
See: Georgia is boiling. The president's simple and powerful words. “I'll stay in my job.”
“The people who did not know that it was connected to the East are now revolting and trying to take away Georgia's last chance to remain on the European route,” she added.
Protests erupted in Tbilisi on Thursday after the country's prime minister announced that Georgia would suspend European Union accession negotiations until 2028. The demonstrators were joined by the country's President Salome Zurabishvili, who said the government had “declared war on our country.”
Your browser does not support video players… Read more
Source link
