We continue our live coverage of the fallout and widespread protests that have come in the wake of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement that Georgia would be halting its EU accession process.

We’re ending our live coverage for now, but will be back later for more from Georgia.

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Fewer people remain on Rustaveli Avenue

Tbilisi’s central Rustaveli Avenue is still blocked to traffic by protesters, though their numbers have decreased since midnight, while riot police and water cannon vehicles remain stationed nearby at Liberty Square.

Meanwhile, a large-scale protest march in Batumi ended for the night at around 1:00 a.m., Batumelebi reported.

Rustavi 2 crew confronted by two protesters

Two protesters confronted a reporter from the pro-government TV channel Rustavi 2 during a live broadcast near the parliament building in Tbilisi, accusing the outlet of failing to report on the violence used against recent street demonstrators.

Rustavi 2, whose reporter chose not to engage with the protesters, accused them of obstructing their professional duties.

Journalists in Akhalkalaki protest violence, demand safety for media workers

A group of journalists, led by the local news outlet Jnews, gathered earlier today in the centre of the southern Georgian city of Akhalkalaki to show support for their colleagues injured during recent demonstrations.

The protesters held banners in Georgian, Russian, and English with calls against violence and for greater protections for media workers. 

‘I am a journalist, and I want to work safely’, one banner read.

One detained at protest rally in Batumi

Police have reportedly detained one person near the government offices in Batumi during an ongoing pro-European, anti-government rally.

The local news outlet Batumelebi cited the head of police, Irakli Dgebuadze, who said that ‘verbal offence’ directed at police was the reason for the individual’s detention.

Protest participants allege receiving anonymous threatening calls 

Vano Gomurashvili, a member of the Coalition for Change opposition party, reported receiving a call from an unidentified individual who insulted him and threatened him with violence.

Speaking with the TV channel Pirveli, Ilia Ghlonti, one of the organisers of this year’s anti-government demonstrations in Tbilisi, including the most recent wave, claimed he was targeted in a similar way.

Ghlonti stated his wife picked up the call and the caller 'insulted us and said they would bring me home with my bones broken'. 

Anonymous threat calls widely targeted government critics in May this year as the Georgian Dream party pushed forward the controversial foreign agent law amid massive street protests, with some individuals subsequently facing actual physical assaults. These and other more recent incidents remain uninvestigated.

 

Activists and politicians summoned in undisclosed criminal cases 

Today, several government critics, including street protesters and politicians, reported being summoned by the Interior Ministry’s Central Criminal Police Department as witnesses in an undisclosed criminal case.

Those summoned include liberal activist Ana Subeliani, queer rights advocate Mariam Kvaratskhelia, Rondeli Foundation researcher Vato Bzhalava, Giorgi Vashadze, Chair of the opposition party Strategy Aghmashenebeli, and Ani Kavtaradze, a member of the Coalition for Change opposition alliance. 

When police officers arrived to notify Vashadze in person, he began a Facebook Live broadcast, confronting them with accusations of neglecting to address ‘actual’ crimes committed against protesters and journalists.

Many of those summoned have stated their intention to be questioned in the presence of a magistrate judge, a legal procedure frequently invoked by civil leaders in Georgia to underscore their mistrust of what they often view as  politicised investigations.

Protesters burn riot police chief’s effigy in front of parliament in Tbilisi

Protesters, who once again blocked traffic and gathered in front of the parliament in Tbilisi this evening, set fire to an effigy of Zviad Kharazishvili, commonly known as Khareba, the US-sanctioned head of the Interior Ministry’s Special Tasks Department, in protest against recent violence by riot police.

The effigy was set ablaze in front of a partially completed Christmas tree installation by Tbilisi City Hall, which Georgian media workers had ‘decorated’ with images of injured journalists.

Diaspora groups protest Georgian government’s anti-EU shift

Members of the Georgian diaspora have organised protest demonstrations in several cities today, including Paris, Florence, Naples, Düsseldorf, and Seoul, opposing the Georgian government’s shift away from the EU.

Riot control vehicles equipped with water cannons mobilised at Liberty Square as protests continue on Sunday night.
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Youth from village of Khulo back nationwide protests and media workers in statement for a 'free, rights-based' future

A youth group from the mountainous town of Khulo in Georgia’s southwestern Adjara region has issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with the ongoing protests nationwide and with Georgian media workers.

‘For Georgia, integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic family is not merely a geopolitical choice; it is the only path toward building a peaceful, democratic, and developed country. We see our future in a free, rights-based, and lawful environment […] We, the youth of Khulo, choose a future where the individual is the highest value and the cornerstone of a free society,’ the statement said, which has been endorsed by over 130 signatories as of now.

Deputy Education Minister Makharashvili accuses protest organisers of fostering disrespect for parents and teachers among schoolchildren

Deputy Education Minister Tamar Makharashvili  accused the organisers of anti-government protests of undermining schoolchildren’s ‘upbringing’ by urging them to disobey their parents and teachers and join the demonstrations.

‘Imagine a teacher becoming an authority for a student over years — this takes time — and they wanted to destroy all of this at once. Not to mention the idea of not listening to parents’, Makharashvili was quoted by the pro-government media Imedi today.

Several private and public schools have consistently participated in protest demonstrations, occasionally encountering resistance from school management, while some teachers have joined the protests. These actions have also drawn criticism from the ruling party and the Georgian Orthodox Church.

‘I stand with you’: Georgian music icon Nani Bregvadze denounces attacks on journalists and protesters

Local media outlets published a statement from renowned Georgian singer Nani Bregvadze, in which she voiced solidarity with anti-government protesters and condemned the violence directed against them.

‘It is unacceptable for the police to attack journalists or any of their fellow citizens while turning a blind eye to the actions of specific perpetrators. This is evil, and in such a war, we will all be defeated […] Young people, I want you to know that I stand with you, even though I cannot physically be there with you’, the 88-year-old singer wrote.

Street protests renew in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi

Demonstrators gathered once again in the Georgian cities of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, and Zugdidi, as well as in the town of Baghdati in the namesake municipality in western Imereti region to denounce the government’s recent anti-EU turn, the police crackdown on protests, and attacks by violent masked groups targeting critics and the media.

In Kutaisi, protesters brought an effigy of Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili and staged a satirical tarot card reading to predict his future.

Deputy Interior Minister Darakhvelidze welcomes ban on face-coverings

Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze reported that ‘over 150’ police officers have been injured, and accused government critics and ‘some media outlets’ of disregarding violence against law enforcement — a sentiment that closely echoed Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s rhetoric earlier today.

Darakhvelidze also expressed support for the ruling party’s plan to prohibit face-covering in public as a measure to combat violence and looting that he said has been frequent in Tbilisi in recent days. 

Darakhvelidze has also stated that ‘over 30’ individuals have been criminally charged in connection with anti-government protests since 28 November, apparently providing nationwide figures.

According to Darakhvelidze, 'police have detained 372 protest participants under administrative procedures, of whom 62 have been sentenced to administrative detention by the court, and over 100 have been fined. Hearings on other cases are ongoing'.

Journalist Beka Korshia fined 

Tbilisi City Court has fined Beka Korshia, a popular investigative journalist from TV channel Mtavari known for his satirical twist, ₾2,200 ($783) for disobeying police. The court also ordered that he be released from detention.

Korshia was detained on the night of 6-7 December at the pro-EU street demonstration held in Tbilisi. 

Korshia confirmed that he was among the hundreds of Georgians detained in recent days who experienced police abuse while in custody. However, he chose not to elaborate further, emphasising that the reports he received during his detention about violence against his colleagues in Georgia were even more concerning.

Reporter from pro-government TV channel Imedi resigns

Today, Levan Morchiashvili updated his Facebook profile, indicating that he had departed from the pro-government TV channel Imedi, though he did not provide reasons for his decision. 

Morchiashvili’s track record includes five years of producing reports widely viewed as aligning with government narratives and targeting of its critics.

In recent weeks, and particularly since last night’s attack on TV Pirveli’s crew by masked men in Tbilisi during a live broadcast, media workers have intensified their appeals for employees of pro-government channels to resign and cease contributing to the dissemination of propaganda.

Business leaders denounce government crackdown while retail chain is accused of withholding protective gear

In today’s programme of Biznesis Kvireuli ('business week') by media group BMG, several business leaders have criticised the government for their crackdown on dissenting Georgians protesting the country’s anti-EU turn. 

The business leaders included the president of the Wheat Producers' Association, Levan Silagava, Shota Burjanadze, the founder of the Georgian Restaurant Association, Temur Chkonia, founder of Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia, Archil Morchiladze, the Executive Secretary of the United Medical Associations of Georgia, and Shalva Alaverdashvili, president of the Georgian Federation of Hotels and Restaurants. 

Meanwhile, the Georgia-based construction and home improvement retail chain, Gorgia, has come under fire after being accused of halting the sale of protective masks and goggles, citing a lack of stock. 

Today, Merab Romelashvili, who was identified as a former employee of Gorgia, and Giorgi Turkadze, who was allegedly their head of marketing, disclosed that they had resigned in protest. 

Romelashvili also publicised a video purportedly showing protective items stored in the company’s warehouses, which caused a public outcry.

Former Georgian Dream PM Kvirikashvili condemns attacks on journalists

Giorgi Kvirikashvili, who served as Prime Minister from 2015 to 2018, expressed his disapproval of assaults on journalists in Georgia, warning about the dangers of ‘impunity’ on his Facebook page. 

'Impunity either means [having] a criminal regime or the state’s weakness in the face of sabotage and crime, which ultimately leads to the dominance of criminality […] If the attackers go unpunished, the next stop will be an entirely different country. We must not allow this to happen', Kvirikashvili wrote. 

Although Kvirikashvili stepped down from his position and left politics over six years ago, he has remained intermittently outspoken in his criticism of Georgian Dream, particularly regarding the government’s anti-democratic actions and foreign policy decisions.

Kaladze’s Christmas tree adorned with images of injured journalists

After marching from First Republic Square along Rustaveli Avenue, media workers protesting violence by riot police and masked men allegedly linked to the government hung images of their injured colleagues on the iron frame intended to serve as a Christmas tree outside the parliament.

Tbilisi municipal workers, some wearing masks, began installing the tree frame early on Sunday, shortly after Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze insisted that the city’s children should have a Christmas tree in place by New Year’s Eve, despite the ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

After media workers began placing images on the metal frame of the tree, police surrounded the structure, creating a barrier to secure it from further access by journalists.

TBC Bank expresses support for two of its employees detained during protests

TBC, one of Georgia’s largest banks, issued a statement today saying that a group of employees would be gathering at Tbilisi City Court today to ‘show support’ for two of their team members, Giorgi Maisuradze and Giorgi Korkadze, whom they described as having been ‘unjustly detained’ during recent protests in Georgia.

Yesterday, a similar statement was released by Georgia's largest bank, Bank of Georgia, in solidarity with their employee, Vako Alavidze, who was also detained during the protests. 

Both banks have faced calls from government critics to go on nationwide strike.

GYLA describes police crackdown on protests as ‘organised crime’ 

The civil rights group Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) issued a statement asserting that torture and the inhumane, degrading treatment of large groups of demonstrators and media representatives have been ‘part of official police operations since 28 November’, the day the government declared the ‘halt’ of the country’s EU membership bid.

GYLA said the scale and organisation of the violence confirm that a 'criminal operation is being carried out against civic engagement', with the means used to disperse the protests 'not only being disproportionate but also amounting to organised crime by its very nature'.

Protesters gather in Georgian cities and towns in support of journalists

Simultaneous protests took place at 15:00 in Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Gori, Rustavi, and Akhaltsikhe, organised by media workers to rally against recent attacks targeting journalists. 

In Tbilisi, several journalists condemned the ‘media terror’ and reprimanded their colleagues working for pro-government media groups before marching towards the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue. 

In Gori, protesters, primarily camera operators, arranged microphones, cameras, and tripods in front of the police building as a symbolic act of protest.

Protesting media workers in Kutaisi also chose to gather outside the regional Interior Ministry's offices. They held images of media representatives highlighting the injuries they suffered while covering recent demonstrations in Georgia, including reporter Maka Chikhladze and camera operator Giorgi Shetsiruli, the most recent victims. Both sustained mild concussions during yesterday’s assault while broadcasting live from Tbilisi.

In Akhaltsikhe, journalists arranged similar images around the Christmas tree in the town centre.

‘Get out’: Kobakhidze tries to eject another journalist during press briefing while announcing anti-face-covering law

Kobakhidze has repeatedly threatened to expel BMG’s journalist Telara Gelantia, ordering her to ‘stop prattling’ and ‘get out’, while referring to her as a ‘Natsi’ during a confrontation over the use of chemical agents against street protesters at his press briefing.

Gelantia refused to vacate her seat and continued to debate Kobakhidze, who repeatedly insulted her and alleged she was ‘responsible’ for injured police officers as well as rally-goers recently.

‘Natsi’ is a derogatory term originally used by Georgian Dream to label members of the opposition United National Movement, drawing an allusion to Nazis, a label the ruling party has extended to its critics in recent years.

The dispute arose after Kobakhidze vowed that his party would enact legislation prohibiting participants in public gatherings, ‘including counter-demonstrations’, from covering their faces.

While face-covering bans have been implemented in several EU countries, as Kobakhidze noted, he failed to address criticism from various local and international groups regarding the use of masked law enforcement officers without identification markers against street protesters — practices that make holding them accountable for abuses of power nearly impossible.

Many critics of the Georgian government pointed out that a mask-wearing ban was introduced by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions during the Euromaidan protests, shortly before their fall from power in February 2014. The measure was referred to as part of the Ukrainian government’s ‘anti-protest laws’ and widely seen as an element of a larger bid to increase Yanukovych’s dictatorial powers.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze evidently ejects a journalist from press briefing while denouncing violence against media workers

Irakli Kobakhidze ordered the removal of a journalist from the press pool after being interrupted multiple times while criticising what he described as ‘one-sided’ condemnations of violence against journalists.

Kobakhidze encountered hostility from a journalist after condemning last night’s attack on TV Pirveli’s crew while simultaneously criticising his opponents for failing to address the ‘attacks’ and harassment of journalists of pro-government media groups covering recent protest demonstrations.

While stating that the investigation was ongoing, he nonetheless declared it a planned ‘provocation’ aimed at ‘artificially escalating’ street protests — a conclusion his party had voiced soon after the brutal attack.

Legal Aid Network report detainee abuse, forced confessions, and widespread rights violations in police custody 

The Legal Aid Network, comprising 12 major local civil rights groups, reported that, ‘as in previous days,’ most of the protesters detained overnight whom they managed to locate and visit exhibited ‘varying degrees of injuries’.

The network also reported that some individuals were forcibly taken from their homes by unidentified, ununiformed individuals claiming to be law enforcement under the pretext of conducting ‘interviews,’ which they later learned were located at the Central Criminal Police Department. According to the groups, these individuals were subjected to forced interrogations without access to legal representation.

They also reported an incident in which a detainee alleged that they witnessed masked individuals in the same police van forcing another detainee to hold a knife and falsely claim it as their own.

The Legal Aid Network reported that they are currently providing legal representation to over 500 individuals detained recently.

Patriarchate demands ‘immediate investigation’ of assault on TV crew 

The Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church has reiterated their spokesperson’s condemnation of last night’s assault by masked men on the TV Pirveli crew with a statement with a call on the government to 'immediately investigate and put an end to such actions'. The statement was relayed by Georgian news agency IPN.

Like Jaghmaidze, the Church’s official statement characterised the current political crisis in Georgia as public polarisation and urged all sides to show restraint.

‘We are clearly facing a serious public confrontation, and therefore decisive measures must be urgently taken to facilitate a peaceful process in the country’, the Patriarchate warned.

Gym in Batumi: police officers no longer welcome

Last night, the Batumi-based fitness centre Reformer announced that they will no longer admit police officers as a protest against police violence or their negligence despite witnessing assaults against protesters in Georgia. 

‘As long as the police serve this violent system, as long as criminals roam freely, assaulting our fellow citizens while the police watch calmly and do nothing, our doors will remain closed to all law enforcement officers, and they will not be able to use our services. If you are already a member, you are welcome to stop coming to train’, Reformer announced on their Facebook page.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze criticised for erecting Christmas tree at the spot of frequent protests and violence

Early this morning, before dawn, Tbilisi City Hall began installing a Christmas tree in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, which still bore the lingering scent of chemical agents used against protesters in recent days. 

The move sparked outrage among some Georgians online, with many condemning it as a cynical gesture in the midst of ongoing violence by law enforcement and masked assailants against anti-government protesters.

Outrage on social media: sports figures curse and shame attackers behind assaults on media workers

A number of Georgian sports figures, including footballer Jaba Kankava and judoka Sandro Gureshidze, have expressed their outrage on Instagram stories in response to disturbing images of the violent attack on TV Pirveli’s crew last night.

Most of the reactions were laden with profanity and condemnation directed at the attackers and those responsible for orchestrating the violence.

Patriarchate spokesperson condemns attacks on citizens and journalists as a threat to civil peace

Andria Jaghmaidze, spokesperson for the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church, has denounced the ‘brutal physical assaults on citizens, especially journalists, by groups of masked, unidentified individuals’, calling them a threat to civil peace.

‘It instills a common sense of insecurity [...] No matter how different our views may be, how can we claim to be right if we are consumed by primitive hatred towards one another?’, Jaghmaidze rhetorically asked on his Facebook page.

Detained doctor on dry hunger strike claims police planted drugs on him

Lawyer Lasha Tsutskiridze has stated that his client, doctor and popular vlogger Giorgi Akhobadze, has declared a dry hunger strike while in detention, alleging that police officers planted drugs on him while being frisked and searched in Tbilisi last night.

Akhobadze’s detention was first reported by Zurab Girchi Japaridze, chair of the Girchi - More Freedom party, which is part of the broader opposition Coalition for Change group. Japaridze stated that Akhobadze had been alternating shifts with a nurse to care for his mother, who recently suffered a stroke, and was seeking someone to replace him.

Key events from yesterday:

• During her trip to Paris yesterday, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili reported meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President-elect Donald Trump, and Trump’s ally and entrepreneur, Elon Musk.
• Public outrage over the attacks by masked men on protesters, government critics, and the crew of TV Pirveli intensified overnight, with activists and citizen groups mobilising to track down, identify, and publicly expose the perpetrators online. 
• More detentions were reported, including by masked and unidentified police officers, some of whom arrested individuals as they were leaving their homes, far from the centre of protests.
• The office of opposition party Coalition for Change was attacked by masked individuals, who then beat party members in the vicinity of the property.