We continue our live coverage of the fallout and widespread protests that have come in the wake of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement on Thursday that Georgia would be halting its EU accession process until the end of 2028. 

We’re ending our live coverage for now, but will be back later for more from Georgia. You can read a summary of the day’s events here.

As the free press in Georgia comes under attack, please consider becoming an OC Media member to help support our work.

Protest on Rustaveli Avenue continues 

At close to 06:00 am in Tbilisi, protesters are continuing to battle police and construct barricades along Rustaveli Avenue, chanting ‘until the end!’.

Tbilisi State University professors support protest

Professors at the Faculty of Medicine at Tbilisi State University have issued a statement in support of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, Mtavari has reported.

‘We also believe that deviation from the country’s declared Western course and physical and psychological violence against civilians are unacceptable. Values ​​such as compassion, dignity, freedom, and respect are important to us’, the statement reads.

Firefighters empty water tanks used for water cannons

A fire crew in Tbilisi has emptied the water from their fire truck on Rustaveli Avenue. Fire trucks have been used in previous days to refill the water cannons used by police against protesters.

Georgian Orthodox parish in Germany calls Georgian Dream to leave

Tamaz Lomidze, the archpriest of the Vakhtang Gorgasali Georgian Orthodox church in Munich, Germany, has called for Georgia to be ‘freed from the harms of Georgian Dream’.

‘The country is tired of their vulgar lies, their fraudulent tricks, their evil concocted in the Kremlin and carried out by themselves, their provincialism and cheap bargaining. […] Georgian Dream should immediately leave Georgia’, he said.

‘You have done nothing but damage our homeland for twelve years. May God have mercy on you, if you realise what you have done, but the nation will judge you anyway!’

Rubber bullets reportedly deployed

Formula has reported the police have deployed rubber bullets against protesters in Tbilisi. Despite this and large amounts of tear gas also being deployed, the protesters remain defiant.

Legal aid workers confirm 123 detentions on 30 November

According to the Legal Aid Network of NGOs, 115 people were confirmed detained in Tbilisi in the vicinity of the parliament on 30 November, with eight more detained in Batumi. The detainees are being held in temporary detention centres in Tbilisi, Marneuli, Sagarejo, Gurjaani, Sighnaghi, Mtskheta, Dusheti, Batumi, and Ozurgeti.

The lawyers stress that ‘the detainees indicate cruel treatment by law enforcement officers’.

‘The majority of the detainees have injuries that they received before and/or during their arrest at the protest. Some of the detainees had to be transferred to medical facilities due to the severity of their injuries. In several cases, the detainees were transferred to medical facilities only at the insistent request of their lawyers’, the statement reads.

The lawyers also pointed out that the detainees were registered at medical clinics as if they entered them voluntarily, rather than being transferred there by the authorities, which makes them subject to medical bills that would otherwise be covered by the state.

Detentions begin

Riot police have begun to detain protesters amidst the carnage in the vicinity of the parliament building. Protesters have erected barricades on Rustaveli Avenue and are continuing to fire fireworks at the police, while the police are deploying water cannons to push them back from the sides of the parliament building.

Open letters from state institutions employees

Fifteen Batumi City Hall employees as well as 31 employees of the Personal Data Protection Service have denounced the halt on EU integration, according to Mtavari.

‘We, the employees of the Batumi City Hall, clearly and unequivocally declare that we reject the decision to suspend Georgia’s EU membership process until 2028 […]. In our opinion, this decision is not in line with the goal declared by the Georgian population, which was reflected in Article 78 of the Constitution. We were, are and remain committed to our citizens, the Constitution, and European values’, one of the statements reads.

Gakharia calls for sanctions against Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream

‘Georgian Dream has destroyed the foundations of democracy, sabotaged Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and betrayed the sovereign will of our people’, said Giorgi Gakharia, the chair of For Georgia. 

‘This is a deliberate and orchestrated scheme — the agenda of Bidzina Ivanishvili, whose repressive control has led our nation to authoritarian rule. Sanctions against Ivanishvili and the illegitimate Georgian Dream government are not only justified, but critically necessary to protect Georgia’s sovereignty and democratic future’.

MIA warns it might use ‘all means’ to disperse protesters

‘The protest of rally participants in the vicinity of the Parliament building completely went beyond the norms defined by the law on assembly and expression and evolved into violence’, said the Interior Ministry.

‘In case rally participants ignore the instructions of the law enforcement officers and continue to act against the law, continue to damage the parliament building, set fire and carry on other violent actions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be forced to resort to all special means defined by law and disrupt the rally.’

Water cannons deployed

Riot police have deployed water cannons to disperse protesters behind parliament.

Mdinaradze criticises Miller’s statement

Georgian Dream’s Mamuka Mdinaradze is the first party official to comment on the suspension of the strategic partnership agreement with the US.

He suggested that President Joe Biden’s administration was ‘rushing’ the suspension of the partnership ahead of Trump’s inauguration, and dismissed its significance.

Private businesses declare solidarity with protest

A number of major companies have issued statements in support of the ongoing protests and EU integration, including TBC and Bank of Georgia, the two largest banks in Georgia. Alta, an electronics and home appliances store, and Tegeta, a car services company, have also spoken out in support of the protests.

‘For the Bank of Georgia, whose name bears a special weight, there is no alternative to the country’s road towards Eurointegration. On the way to Europe — don’t stop!’, read Bank of Georgia’s statement.

Public Broadcaster reportedly journalist resigns

Public Broadcaster journalist Nika Mukhigulashvili has resigned, according to news outlet Publika.

Fire breaks out in Georgian Parliament 

A fire has broken out inside the Georgian Parliament building. Several windows have been broken on the outside, and protesters have also been launching fireworks.

A fire has broken out inside the Georgian Parliament building. Several windows have been broken on the outside, and protesters have also been launching fireworks.

🔴 Live updates: https://t.co/qyb8gyYlkn pic.twitter.com/Kf9xoR3TP4

— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) November 30, 2024

A huge number of protesters have gathered on Rustaveli in what looks to be the largest demonstration yet since the government's U-turn on EU integration.

Protesters in front of parliament have also set fire to an effigy of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Protesters in front of parliament have set fire to an effigy of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.

🔴 Live updates: https://t.co/qyb8gyYlkn pic.twitter.com/43orXUqpPR

— OC Media (@OCMediaorg) November 30, 2024

Zourabichvili: Suspension of US Partnership is the tragic result of Georgian Dream’s antidemocratic policies

The suspension of the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership is the tragic result of GD’s anti-democratic, anti-Western, anti-European, and anti-Georgian policies. It’s clearer than ever that the course they pursue leads only in one direction - toward Russia. https://t.co/9XdERCqnRp

— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) November 30, 2024

Public Broadcaster’s news anchor calls out channel’s editorial policy

Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, the anchor of the news programme at the Georgian Public Broadcaster, expressed his criticism of the channel’s editorial policy when he was on air with the protesters. 

He attributed the channel’s ‘failure’ to meet public expectations to the election of Vasil Maghlaperidze, the former deputy chair of Georgian Dream, as the chair of the channel’s board.

‘The reason why the public's voice has not been widely heard on the public broadcaster is also the fault of the public, which doesn’t pay attention to this channel. As soon as the public attention to Channel One wanes, the channel has always, currently does, and unfortunately, will always continue to [serve the interests] of the government […] The government will always find a way to impose its [agenda] on the public broadcaster’.

Earlier today protesters gathered in front of the Public Broadcaster’s headquarters in Tbilisi, calling on the management of the broadcaster to take responsibility and leave their positions because of their coverage of the nationwide protests. The Public Broadcaster gave into their demands, allowing them to speak live.

Protesters continue to try to breach parliament gates

Protesters in front of parliament are still trying to breach the building’s gates. They have also fired fireworks inside the courtyard, where riot police are believed to be stationed.

US suspends Strategic Partnership with Georgia

US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller has announced that the US has suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia.

‘The decision by Georgian Dream to suspend Georgia’s EU accession process goes against the promise to the Georgian people enshrined in their constitution to pursue full integration into the European Union and NATO.  By suspending Georgia’s EU accession process, Georgian Dream has rejected the opportunity for closer ties with Europe and made Georgia more vulnerable to the Kremlin’, he said in a Statement.

‘The Georgian people overwhelmingly support integration with Europe.  The United States condemns the excessive use of force by police against Georgians seeking to exercise their rights to assembly and expression, including their freedom to peacefully protest.  We call on all sides to ensure protests remain peaceful.’

‘Georgian Dream’s various anti-democratic actions have violated the core tenets of our US–Georgia Strategic Partnership, which was based on shared values and commitments to democracy, rule of law, civil society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and anti-corruption efforts.  As a result, the United States has suspended this mechanism.’

‘We reiterate our call to the Georgian government to return to its Euro-Atlantic path, transparently investigate all parliamentary election irregularities, and repeal anti-democratic laws that limit freedoms of assembly and expression.’

Ambassador to Lithuania resigns

Georgia’s Ambassador to Lithuania, Salome Shapakidze, has joined a number of her colleagues in resigning in protest over the government’s actions.

I submit my resignation as Ambassador of #Georgia to #Lithuania.It was honour& privilege 2serve my country’s🇬🇪National Interests 4more than a decade&humbly contribute to its sovereignty&territorial integrity that go handinhand with🇪🇺&EuroAtlantic quest!Georgia is Europe!

— Salome Shapakidze (@ShapSalome) November 30, 2024

Tbilisi clinic offers free medical care to protesters 

The Curatio clinic in Tbilisi has said they will provide free treatment to those injured during the protests.

‘We share the spirit of the ongoing protest events in Georgia. We condemn the violence directed against peaceful citizens, including women, children, journalists, and doctors’, read Curatio’s statement. 

Another clinic, Pineo, earlier expressed support to the protesters.

Deputy FM and Ambassador to US reportedly resign

Formula is reporting citing an anonymous source that the Georgian Ambassador to the US, David Zalkaliani, and Deputy Foreign Minister, Teimuraz Janjalia, have both resigned.

There were similar reports of Zalkaliani’s resignation in September following the adoption of the foreign agent law, which turned out to be false.

Zalkaliani previously served as Georgia’s foreign minister from 2018–2022. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2021–2022, before being reassigned as ambassador to the US amidst reported disagreements over the government’s foreign policy, including on Ukraine.

Janjalia served as the Deputy Foreign Minister since 2021.

Protesters in Kutaisi have burnt an effigy of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, as demonstrations continue throughout the country.

Georgian emigrants stage protests in front of Georgian embassies abroad

Georgians abroad have continued to stage protests against the government’s decision to halt EU accession efforts. 

In Dublin, Ireland, around 50 Georgian emigrants held a spontaneous protest rally, expressing support for Georgia’s European future. 

‘The aim of the actions is for the government to hear the voice of the Georgian people, including immigrants, who, with unprecedented unity, clearly said that the “Dream” is not a legitimate government and that the opposition won everywhere, where the elections were held democratically’, a protester told Batumlebi. 

Riot police mobilised in Batumi

Riot police have reportedly been mobilised in Batumi, where protesters have gathered around the Adjara TV public broadcasting station, demanding the live airtime that was promised to them. 

🟥On November 30, a protest march has been ongoing in Batumi for several hours.
🟥The demonstrators have reached the Adjara TV Public Broadcaster, demanding live airtime. A promise was made to grant the activists live airtime.
🟥Riot police have been mobilized.#GeorgiaProtests pic.twitter.com/kvr7E9esJ0

— ბათუმელები • Batumelebi.ge (@Batumelebi_ge) November 30, 2024

President Zourabichvili vows to remain in post

President Salome Zourabichvili has vowed to stay on as president after her term expires, stating that an illegitimate parliament cannot appoint her successor.

‘I will remain as your president, there is no legitimate parliament, therefore an illegitimate parliament cannot elect the president’, she said. ‘Therefore, there will be no inauguration and my mandate continues until there is a legitimately elected parliament, which will legitimately elect whoever will succeed me.’ 

She went on to praise the protests against the protests, including among Georgian diplomats and businesses.

She said a ‘national unity’ had been reached with opposition groups, ‘and together we will manage the political part of the process, which you manage outside, manage on the street and wherever you are.’

‘We will do the work together, together we will represent the future, which we will achieve very soon, Georgia will regain its European path’, she said.

Silknet condemns violence against protesters

Silknet, one of Georgia’s two largest telecommunications companies, and the Silk Road Group have condemned ‘violence against peaceful protesters’.

‘Silknet and Silk Road Group companies support our country’s aspiration to join the European Union’, the company wrote on their official Facebook page.

‘We believe that Georgia should not leave the constitutional order and remain in the European space. To refuse this path means to refuse freedom, progress and the future.’

The other of the two leading telecoms companies, MAGTI, issued a similar statement earlier today.

Fifth journalist leaves Rustavi 2

A fifth journalist, Tamar Nutsubidze, has left the pro-government TV station Rustavi 2.

‘From Brussels, I told you about the two most important events in my life, the granting of a visa-free regime to Georgia and the [EU membership] candidate status’, she wrote on Facebook.

‘I have nothing to be proud of! Today, we have never been so far from the European Union as now! Ten years ago, I came here to Brussels precisely to cover the European integration of my country. Based on this, I feel my personal responsibility to you, the viewers, and I am leaving the Rustavi 2 TV station.’

Rally in Rustavi

Protesters have begun to gather in the industrial southern city of Rustavi.

Large rally starting in the eastern Georgian city of Rustavi.

©️ https://t.co/GPUodVWGf7 pic.twitter.com/LbF13WBLvD

— Formula NEWS | English (@FormulaGe) November 30, 2024

Over 1,000 teachers issue statement condemning violence against protesters

Over 1,000 people, purportedly teachers, have signed a statement from teachers and education workers condemning the violence against protesters, stating that to remain silent was ‘the biggest crime today’. 

‘For a long time now, the regime has been pushing education-related problems into the background in our country, weakening them, using them to strengthen their own interests, and involving teachers in the propaganda scheme of the system.

We support our fellow citizens who openly state their position in this most important struggle, and we stand by them in the resistance movement’, the statement read. 

‘We believe that protecting the European future of future generations is the direct duty and primary task of each person working at the school!’

‘We ask and urge our colleagues to stand on the right side in this fight to protect the interests of our own students.’

‘If we serve education, we should be on the front line of the fight!’

‘We consider that it is impossible to continue the educational process in the usual way, and we will use all the mechanisms at our disposal to protect the future of the country and our freedom of expression’, the statement said.

State Security Service warns of plan to ‘violently overthrow government’

Georgia’s State Security Service has issued a statement accusing opposition and civil society leaders of attempting to ‘seize power through violence’.

The called on the public to avoid  becoming ‘participants in the planned provocation, voluntarily or unintentionally’.

They added that they were conducting an investigation into the attempted ‘violent overthrow of the state government’, which carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.

Protesters block Zugdidi–Mestia Highway

Residents of Daba Jvari in northwestern Georgia have reportedly blocked the Zugdidi–Mestia Highway while chanting slogans including ‘No to the Russian regime’ and ‘Georgia’s future is the EU’. 

Residents of Daba Jvari have blocked the Zugdidi-Mestia highway!

At the rally protesters chant: "No to Russia," "No to the Russian regime," "Georgia's future is the EU".#GeorgiaProtests pic.twitter.com/aW71xD1qA2

— PUBLIKA (@Publika_ge) November 30, 2024

Georgian opposition calls for the release of all detained protesters

Four opposition coalitions/parties —Coalition for Change, Unity — National Movement, Strong Georgia, and For Georgia — have published a joint statement calling for all those detained at the protests to be released immediately.

‘Coalitions/parties with a legitimate mandate of the Georgian people together confront the illegitimate regime of the Georgian Dream and the systematic violence organized by it against peaceful demonstrators and journalists […] With joint, coordinated efforts, we are fighting in the streets together with the Georgian people to save our common state. In the mode of cooperation, we agree to provide practical assistance to the demonstrators, including legal, informational and medical support. 

The solution to the worst situation is to hold new elections with international involvement, under the conditions of a new election administration and politically neutral law enforcement and other state agencies’, the statement read.

‘Together, we call on the international community to condemn systematic violence against peaceful demonstrators, to make clear statements about not recognizing the results of the hijacked elections, and to take effective countermeasures. 

Our struggle is common and it will continue until the victory of Georgian democracy and its European perspective’.

Students and faculty across Georgia criticise decision to halt EU accession

Students and faculty across a number of universities in Georgia have published statements disavowing the government’s decision to halt EU accession until 2028.

‘We declare that we categorically disagree with the decision of the Georgian government to suspend relations with the European Union.

We are ready to fight for the European future of Georgia, which is a guarantee of the freedom and progress of our country. Our position is firm and based on the protection of our historic choices and values’, read a statement written by lecturers and students of the Batumi University of Arts.

Over 80 students at Sukhumi State University in Tbilisi have signed a petition calling on ‘the administration and rector of Sukhumi State University, Mr. Zurab Khonelidze, to make a statement and stand on the right side of history’.

‘We are not going to walk in the auditoriums and demand the university to stop the educational process’, the petition read.

Students in the marketing, mass communications, and finance faculties at Grigol Robakidze University, also in Tbilisi, likewise refused to continue the educational process and condemned the violence against protesters.

‘We, part of the students of Grigol Robakidze, are responding to the current events in the country, and in light of this, we are not speaking in the auditoriums from Monday. We condemn the violent actions that were used against our peers! We call on the university to make a clear statement based on the current situation in the country, and to stand by the students, our future is in Europe!’, their statement read.

Protesters in Zugdidi plan to show police footage of police brutality

Protesters in the western city of Zugdidi, who have been demonstrating for several hours already today, are reportedly planning to install a big screen in front of the local police station, where they will show footage of the police brutalising peaceful demonstrators. 

‘One of the young police officers told me that nothing happened in Tbilisi last night, we are serving our motherland. We will now show these police officers on the big screen last night's footage, how Putin’s slaves beat young people, old people and confronted their population like Russian riot police’, one of the protesters in Zugdidi told Mtavari Arkhi.

Protests continue in Kutaisi

Protesters are blocking streets in Kutaisi during a third night of protests against the halting of Georgia’s EU accession until 2028. 

Misha Mumladze, one of the protest organisers who was detained after the protests on 28 November and released earlier today, told protesters that people ‘in Kutaisi must have their say in this great common movement called the liberation of the country. This is not about specific issues. This is about taking back our country’.

#GeorgiaProtests in Kutaisi.

Video: Sofa Sakandelidze pic.twitter.com/DaYhYTPBTp

— Anna Gvarishvili (@AnnaGvarishvili) November 30, 2024

Following Mumladze’s statements, protesters marched through Kutaisi, halting traffic along several roads.  

Dutch MFA: Netherlands condemns ‘unacceptable violence’ during ‘violence crackdown’ in Georgia

The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caspar Veldkamp, has written on X that the Netherlands condemns the ‘unacceptable violence’ used against protesters and journalists in Georgia. 

Shocked to see the violent crackdown against protestors and journalists in Georgia, where many citizens stand up and speak out for their European aspirations. The Netherlands condemns this unacceptable violence. The Georgian people deserve our full support.

— Caspar Veldkamp (@ministerBZ) November 30, 2024

Protesters block Poti Port

Protesters have reportedly blocked the access road to Poti Port, located on the Black Sea in western Georgia, as part of a pro-EU and anti-government demonstration.

Rustaveli Avenue closed

Thousands are gathering on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the Georgian parliament building, blocking the road to traffic.

Acting Georgian Ambassador to Italy resigns

The acting Georgian Ambassador to Italy, Irakli Vekua, has resigned, the third leading diplomat to do so over the last two days.

Council of Ethnic Minorities condemns violence against protesters

The Council of Ethnic Minorities, which operates within the Public Defender’s office, has issued a statement condemning the violence used against protesters. 

The statement also noted that the Council sees a great danger in stopping the European integration process, stating that ‘human rights, tolerance, equality, civil integration, lasting peace are the foundations of a dignified life, and all of this can be achieved, nowadays, only under the conditions of European-type pluralistic democratic governance’.

Public sector employees ‘unequivocally disagree’ with decision to halt EU accession

Public sector employees have signed a joint statement emphasising that they ‘unequivocally disagree with the statement made on November 28 and strongly condemn the disproportionate crackdown on the peaceful protest of Georgian citizens’.

‘We, the people employed in the public sector of Georgia, sincerely and faithfully served and serve not any political group, but the national interests of Georgia, which means protecting the sovereignty, territorial integrity, European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of our homeland’, the statement read. 

‘We confirm our unwavering loyalty to the will of the majority of the citizens of Georgia, stated in Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia, clearly expressed more than once! We serve Georgia!’.

Pro-EU demonstration held in Khashuri

Protesters, reportedly largely made up of public sector employees, held a demonstration in the central Georgian city of Khashuri today.

MagtiCom condemns violence against protesters

MagtiCom, one of Georgia’s largest telecommunication companies, has categorically condemned ‘the violence against the people gathered to defend the European future of Georgia’, stating that they remain ‘committed to the course defined by Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia’.

‘There is no alternative to the European integration path of our country. The future of Georgia is in Europe!’, the company wrote on Facebook.

Tbilisi theatre cancels performances after arrest of actor during protests

The Vaso Abashidze State New Theatre in Tbilisi has cancelled their performances following the arrest of one of their actors, Giorgi Bakhutashvili.

In a post on Facebook, the theatre highlighted that police had ‘physically assaulted other members of the troupe and many young people who are also our regular audience’.

‘The main purpose of the theater is to accurately feel the pulse of its own country and to stand next to its audience, inside and outside the walls of the theater!

For whom we work, those people are now standing in the streets and fighting for the European future of the country! 

Therefore, we stop our repertoire and act according to the development of events and processes in the country!’, the statement read. 

Tbilisi City Hall employees separate from decision to suspend EU membership process

More than 120 employees of Tbilisi City Hall have signed a joint statement stating that they ‘clearly and unequivocally declare that we separate from the decision to suspend Georgia's EU membership process until 2028 and all the reasons for it’.

‘We were, are, and remain faithful to our citizens, the Constitution, the European values, ​​and the course that Georgia has chosen, and within the framework of our activities, we continue to promote the formation of our country as a European state’, the statement read. 

Several popular restaurants close in Tbilisi

Meriko Gubeladze, the manager and chef of four popular restaurants in Tbilisi — Shavi Lomi, Ninia Bagh, Cafe Leila, and Kaklebi — has temporarily shut down operations. 

Georgian Public Defender notes police cruelty

The Georgian Public Defender, Levan Ioseliani, has visited detained protesters held in the temporary detention centre in Dighomi, Tbilisi. 

According to a post on the official page of the Public Defender of Georgia, all but two of the 15 detainees Ioseliani spoke to claimed they were subjected to ‘terrible physical pressure during their detention’.

‘The visible injuries were mainly on the face, however, according to some, other parts of the body were also injured. One of the detainees had blood all over his face’, Ioseliani said. 

‘What I saw is cruelty that has no justification. I call on the police once again not to exceed their authority during the arrest. The law must be followed first by the law enforcer and the criminal must be treated according to the law. Everyone should be held accountable. Everyone who detains, who conducts a police operation, and then who investigates the conditions of detention’.

Ioseliani also called on the Special Investigation Service to effectively investigate each case, arguing that previous delays in such investigations ‘has led to the fact that every year more and more people become victims of violence at the rallies’.

This afternoon, Ioseliani met with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to discuss his findings.

Rally held in front of Public Broadcaster in Tbilisi

Protesters have gathered in front of the public broadcaster’s headquarters in Tbilisi, calling on the management of the broadcaster to take responsibility and leave their positions because of the editorial policy they are engaged in.

The protesters are also reportedly demanding live broadcasts and debates. 

The director of the channel, Tinatin Berdzenishvili, and the chair of the board of trustees, Vasil Maglaferidze, were also there to meet with the protesters. 

 

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

 

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Aprili Media (@aprili.media)

Tbilisi libraries cancel events and release statement in support of EU integration

Around 250 employees belonging to the Union of Multifunctional Libraries of the City of Tbilisi Municipality have signed a statement separating themselves from ‘the termination of the European integration process and the suspension of the country's development for another four years’, and have announced that they are temporarily cancelling all events planned in the library branches. 

According to the statement, the employees ‘deeply believe that for a better future of our country and to finally get rid of the backward Soviet past, steps must be taken daily on the way to the European Union. That's why we disagree with stopping this process and suspending the country's development for another four years. 

At the same time, we condemn the use of brutal force against peaceful demonstrators fighting for the European future of Georgia!’

The statement also notes that the libraries ‘will always carry the works of Ilia Chavchavadze, Aleksandre Kazbegi, Nikoloz Baratashvili, Vazha Pshavela, Polikarpe Kakabadze, Paolo Iashvili, the wisdom of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani and all those books that will deepen the next generation's love for the country and ignite the spirit of fighting for its future’.

Georgian Ambassador to the Netherlands resigns

David Solomonia, the Georgian Ambassador to the Netherlands, has resigned.

‘Most of the three decades of my stay in the diplomatic service of Georgia were devoted to working on the issues of European integration. It is a great happiness when your professional obligations coincide with your life choices. I clearly fulfilled my official duties, rather than believing that I could have the slightest influence on the processes. Today, that hope ended. I condemn any violence and leave the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia in the Kingdom of the Netherlands position’, he wrote in his resignation letter.

He is the second Georgian ambassador to resign, following yesterday’s announcement by the Georgian Ambassador to Bulgaria,  Otar Berdzenishvili.

Professional Union of Georgian Musicians responds to Kobakhidze

The Professional Union of Georgian Musicians has published a statement responding to Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhdize’s speech, during which they claimed he ‘actually repeated Yanukovych's words and, so to speak, poured water into the Russian mill’.

‘We will not repeat or remind you of the articles of the constitution, nor will we focus on the fact that it is illegal to hold a session in the parliament when the president and the opposition parties have filed a lawsuit in the constitutional court’, the statement read.

Instead, the union noted that according to the association agreement with the EU, the Georgian government is encouraged to take trade unions into account, yet ‘ “Governments” often forget that the people are the owners of the country’.

The union expressed solidarity with all citizens participating in the protest, emphasising that ‘the music industry has never been so united’ and ‘making a choice has never been easier’.

OC Media journalists will not wear press jackets during protest coverage

OC Media has made the decision to not use high visibility press jackets when covering the ongoing protests in Tbilisi due to the clear targeting of media representatives by riot police over the last two days.

Support our independent journalism and enjoy a range of benefits by becoming a member.

Students strike at Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi

As a sign of protest, the third-year students in the Department of History at Shota Rustaveli State University in Batumi will not participate in exams or lectures. 

‘The 3rd-year students of the Faculty of Humanities, Department of History of BSU are isolated from the current processes in the country and do not participate in exams and lectures,’ wrote BSU University lecturer Ia Khasaya on Facebook.

Professors at Telavi State University condemn Georgian Dream’s policy

A group of professors at Telavi State University in eastern Georgia have condemned the ‘anti-constitutional and anti-national policy of “Georgian Dream”, which undermines the country's European integration aspiration and serves the Kremlin's interests’.

‘We respect the memory of our ancestors and contemporaries, who sacrificed themselves for the national liberation movement of Georgia and shed their blood to free the country from the imperial oppression of Russia’, read their official statement.

Protest held in front of regional police building in Gori

Media representatives, teachers, and activists have organised a rally in front of the regional police headquarters of Shida Kartli in Gori. The participants of the rally have expressed their solidarity with the injured journalists during the coverage of the ongoing protests, calling on the police to be ‘law enforcers and not lawbreakers’.  

‘Law enforcement officers also work in this building, who, in many cases, are lawbreakers, and we are not sure that our own colleagues were not beaten by these disguised policemen’, Formula journalist Lado Bichashvili told Mtavari Arkhi. 

Among those protesting was Nona Vikani, a mother of one of the injured journalists, Mariam Gapridashvili. 

‘If someone thinks that they were beating other people's children, those people who were sitting at home are very mistaken. Yesterday they were beating children of every one of us’, Vikani said, likely referring to the violent crackdown on protesters and media workers.

Teacher Liza Apkhazishvili burst into tears during the rally, calling on ‘the police officers in this building who still have a conscience’ to distance themselves from ‘these completely unjust actions’. 

‘It is impossible to bear this anymore. We teach children in school how to respect the constitution, how to respect the law and justice, we teach non-violence. And at this time we see the government torturing people, mutilating its own citizens’, Apkhazishvili said.

Mtavari Arkhi has reported that another action has been announced in Gori, near the Sakrebulo building (municipal council), at 17:00. According to the participants of the rally, they will join the main demonstrations in the capital in the evening.

National Bank of Georgia employees criticise decision to halt EU accession

More than 170 employees of the National Bank of Georgia have signed a statement in support of ‘the continuous and irreversible implementation of the country's European integration’.

The statement highlighted the work the employees have done to bring the regulation of the Georgian financial sector closer to the European standards, ‘which significantly led to a sustainable and steadily growing financial system’, and emphasised that the 28 November decision to halt EU accession until 2028 ‘contradicts Article 78 of the Constitution of Georgia and does not correspond to the historical aspiration of the country — to become a full-fledged member of the European family’.

Protest action held in front of Adjara TV station in Batumi

Protesters have gathered in front of the Adjara TV building, insisting the station give live air to participants of the action, a request the television station denied during last night’s protests. 

‘We are financing this television and our voice should be heard’, a protester told local media outlet Batumlebi. 

Inscriptions such as ‘Freedom is not for sale’ and ‘Shame’ were written on the pavement in front of the broadcasting station.

Following this rally, the participants intend to march to the house of the chair of the Constitutional Court, Merab Turava. 

After the march, today's rally in Batumi will continue at Europe Square at 18:00.

OSCE/ODIHR condemns use of excessive force by police during protests in Georgia

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has stated that the ‘action of law enforcement officials while policing peaceful protests in Georgia is of deep concern and a serious breach of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly’.

‘The disproportionate and indiscriminate use of force impacted a large number of protestors and journalists during protests in which the overwhelming majority of demonstrators were peaceful. The right to peaceful assembly is a freedom that lies at the heart of all democratic societies, and all OSCE states have committed to ensuring that “everyone will have the right of peaceful assembly and demonstration” ’, the official statement read.

Reports of police pressure to sign document excusing police brutality

Mtavari Arkhi has reported that detainees arrested during the protests on 28-29 November have claimed police asked them to sign a protocol which stated that their injuries were caused by falling down the steps of the Parliament before their arrest. Multiple protesters have alleged that they were subjected to physical violence both before and after their arrest. 

Zviad Ratian, a poet who was detained during the protests, told Mtavari Arkhi that he did not sign such a protocol, but that the person detained with him was forced to agree to it. 

‘They dragged me along the first school and the parliament in the ranks of masked men and special forces, as they know, [this] reminded me of the footage with Katsarava [a reference to Davit Katsarava who was violently attacked during the foreign agent protests this spring]. I was beaten, and as this was going on I saw that I was at the end of Chichinadze [Street]. A lot of people beat me wherever they took me. I was also roughly loaded into a car. One of the policemen beat me, who, when they brought me to the [police] station, said that he was not there at the time of my arrest’, Ratiani said. 

He noted that at the police station, ‘they would ask everyone to write that they were injured while falling down the stairs’.

Several private schools announce they have halted classes in solidarity with protesters

At least three private schools — Logos International Academy, Green School, and Newton Free School — have announced that they have halted their classes due to the protests in Georgia. 

‘We support the right of our students, staff, parents, and all citizens to live in a country where their fundamental rights are protected. Thus, we condemn violence and support peaceful protests aimed at protecting democratic values ​​and human rights’, read the statement by the Logos International Academy.

Georgian athletes express concern over unfolding events in Georgia

A number of prominent Georgian athletes have made statements about the unfolding events in Georgia. 

Napoli and Georgian national team winger Kvicha Kvaratskhelia wrote on his Facebook page:

‘The desire and will of the Georgian people is to walk and move along the European path, this is our historical choice, the only right choice, and it is unacceptable to deviate from this path. This country belongs to the people and no one is above the will of the people.

It hurts [to look at my country], [to look at my people]. It is painful and emotional to watch the videos that are being circulated, stop the violence and aggression! Georgia deserves Europe today more than ever!’

Other athletes who have seemed to support the protests include football players Giorgi Tsitaishvili, Giorgi Chakvetadze, Giorgi Kvilitaia, Budu Zivzivadze, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Giorgi Kochorashvili, and the UFC champion Merab Dvalishvili.

Romania stands in full solidarity with the people of Georgia

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Romania stands ‘in full solidarity’ with the people of Georgia and with Georgian diplomats who ‘rallied in support of the European path of Georgia’. 

As EU 🇪🇺 member, 🇷🇴 stands in full solidarity with the people of  #Georgia 🇬🇪 in their legitimate struggle for dignity, freedom & European future. Our solidarity also goes to 🇬🇪diplomats that rallied in support of the European path of Georgia.

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania 🇷🇴 (@MAERomania) November 30, 2024

Kobakhidze thanks police forces following violent crackdown on protesters

‘I want to thank the Minister of Internal Affairs and each police officer who yesterday repelled the attack on the constitutional order and stood guard over Georgia’s sovereignty and independence. I want to thank the Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri. I don’t even want to imagine how the protest would have ended amid the large-scale violence we saw from the violent groups if the Minister of Internal Affairs was Vano Merabishvili or Giorgi Gakharia’.

‘Vakhtang Gomelauri and the Ministry of Internal Affairs acted in accordance with standards exceeding those of the US and Europe yesterday too and, by adhering to the principle of proportionality, prevented a significant attack on the constitutional order.’

Kobakhidze also claimed that the violence demonstrated by police forces was limited to isolated incidents. 

‘What’s important’, he said, ‘is that it’s not systemic’.

Instead, he said, ‘systemic violence’ was exhibited by ‘violent’ and ‘extremist’ groups that were backed by ‘radical opposition’ and pre-orchestrated. ‘It wasn’t even a protest’, he added. 

When asked about the alleged use of rubber bullets by the police force against prominent lawyer Saba Brachveli, Kobakhidze said such bullets were not used yesterday and described Brachveli as a ‘UNM activist’ and ‘Soros man’ who is not to be trusted.

Kobakhidze blames European politicians for yesterday’s protests

‘Yesterday everyone got convinced that Nats Maidan will not happen in Georgia’, was Kobakhidze’s opening remark at a press briefing today. He referred to the protest as ‘Nats Maidan’, implying the protests were organised by ‘natsebi’, a term the Georgian Dream party often uses to refer to both the United National Movement party as well as the collective opposition more generally. 

‘For three years now, certain European politicians and bureaucrats, who have failed to achieve the Ukrainization of Georgia, have been constantly trying to use the topics of candidate status and the opening of negotiations to weaken the country, incite so-called polarisation in Georgia, and artificially divide the society.’

Kobakhidze said the European politicians and bureaucrats, as well as ‘local agents’, the ‘fifth column’ which is represented by ‘four political parties’, bear the main responsibility for yesterday’s violent protests.

Gvaramia summoned to court

One of the leaders of the opposition Coalition for Change, Nika Gvaramia, has announced on Facebook that he has been summoned to court for ‘organising road blocking’. He did not provide any further details regarding the case.

Tsalenjikha City Hall criticises decision to halt EU accession

Writing on Facebook, the Tsalenjikha City Hall, of a municipality in western Georgia, declared that the recent actions of the central government ‘have gone beyond the constitutional framework of the country and pose a clear threat to Georgia's European future and its integration into the Euro-Atlantic space’.

‘The government, having stolen the votes of the people, not only falsified the elections but also staged a constitutional coup — despite the lawsuit filed by the president in the Constitutional Court, the parliament gathered in a one-party, one-man session, expressed trust in the government, and ultimately disregarded Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution. For two days and nights, peaceful protesters and media representatives were physically confronted in the main street of the country, which restricted the expression of free speech.

The coalition self-government of Tsalenjikha, which is the only opposition municipality in the country, considers this an obvious threat to the return of the Georgian state to the Russian sphere’, the statement read.

Baerbock calls on Georgian government to ‘listen to their country’s voice’

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has called on the government to ‘listen to their country’s voice’ in a post on X.

‘Tens of thousands of people in [Georgia] are carrying Europe's heart onto the streets of Tbilisi and holding up the EU flag to the water cannons. Georgia's candidate status is a historic opportunity. It is up to the government to listen to their country's voice’, Baerbock wrote.

Protest planned in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster

The administration of the Facebook group Tsinaprebi (Ancestors) has announced a protest to be held in front of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) building at 17:00. 

‘We, the citizens of Georgia, demand that the public television be returned to us!

Stop spreading false information and pursuing the interests of the oligarch and the occupier government!

We demand that we be given the opportunity to go on the air, where we will tell the truth that journalists and peaceful citizens are being brutally attacked by law enforcement officers working for the Russian regime. That the junta led by Russia has taken away our elections, disregarded the Constitution of Georgia and the will of the people, and robbed this country of a European future!’, the statement read. 

The GPB has long faced criticism for its perceived pro-government bias. The criticism grew stronger following the recent targeted assaults on journalists by police forces during the ongoing protests.

Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs calls for sanctions

The Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs has called on Europe to respond to the brutality of Georgian authorities against protesters with sanctions.

Government of Georgia raised a brutal heavy hand to crushed its own people.

But people will win!

Europe has to respond with sanctions for human rights abusers & more support to civil society! https://t.co/SQlg65Imrd

— Simonas Satunas (@SimonasSatunas) November 30, 2024

The Union of Tbilisi Museums suspends events 

The Union of Tbilisi Museums, uniting nine independent museums, has suspended planned events in apparent support of the ongoing protests.

‘We continue providing educational and guided tour services while protecting democratic values and heritage of Ilia Chavchavadze, Zacharia Paliashvili, Merab Kostava and other national figures for Georgia's European path and values’, the statement read.

Students of TSU’s International Relations Department criticise Georgian Dream decision to halt EU accession

Over 300 students and graduates of Tbilisi State University's Department of International Relations have signed a joint statement strongly ‘condemning the decision of “Georgian Dream”, which hinders the process of Georgia joining the European Union’. 

The statement also noted that in connection with the ‘declaration of the results of the October 26 elections as unconstitutional’, as well as the ongoing legal dispute in the Constitutional Court, ‘the issue of the legitimacy of “Georgian Dream” as a government is being called into question’.

Journalists hold rally in Kutaisi

Local media has reported that media representatives held a rally in Kutaisi, highlighting that ‘journalists’ lives are in danger’ and demanding authorities give them ‘the opportunity to work safely’.

Employees of Civil Aviation Agency criticise halting of EU accession 

Around 25 employees from Georgia’s Civil Aviation Agency have signed a joint statement dissociating themselves from Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement halting Georgia’s EU accession bid until 2028. 

‘A large part of our work is devoted to the introduction of European regulations in Georgia. Therefore, questions arise as to what effect the Prime Minister's announcement will have on our activities. The role of our future relationship with EU civil aviation regulatory agencies is also unclear. The undersigned employees are actively involved in EU training programs and working groups. Currently, it is not clear to us what purpose our involvement in these processes serves, if the state stops the process of joining the European Union’, the statement read. 

‘Any step by which Georgia will be separated from the European family is fundamentally unacceptable for us. The termination or temporary suspension of cooperation with the European Union will have a significant negative impact on the continuous maintenance of flight safety and aviation security level in Georgia’.

US Congressperson calls for sanctions

US Congressperson Joe Wilson has called for sanctions on Bidzini Ivanishvili and other Georgian authorities. 

We must sanction the illegitimate Russian puppets attacking the Georgian people & denying them their sovereignty, including Bidzina Ivanishvili & his cronies. Grateful to have called for this in 2020 RSC report with @SpeakerJohnson and National Security Advisor @michaelgwaltz pic.twitter.com/76e1FEHan4

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) November 30, 2024

US/UK Desk Officer of the Georgian Defence Forces resigns

The US/UK Desk Officer of the Georgian Defence Forces, Rati Tvalavadze, has resigned from his position, urging everyone around him to ‘protest this decision by the unconstitutional and illegitimate government’. 

‘People of Georgia are standing and protesting in the streets of Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Batumi and other cities, for the Euro-Atlantic future in this very moment. They, including journalists, are being brutally beaten by the police forces in the process; water cannons and tear gas are being used as well. My request to all of you is the following — spread the word around the capitals of Europe and America about the ongoing events in Georgia’, Tvalavadze wrote on Facebook. 

Zourabichvili calls on compatriots abroad to speak up

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has called on compatriots living in Europe and America to ‘wake up’ and to ‘clearly express your position regarding these brutal, merciless Russian-style special operations’.

Writing on Facebook, Zourabichvili emphasised that ‘silence and pretending nothing is happening in the homeland can no longer be done’, and that thinking of Europe as only for themselves would not work. 

She called on Georgian emigrants to express their opinions in the press and television, with ambassadors, and on social media, but emphasised that this call was not intended towards Georgians already protesting in front of Georgian embassies. 

First trials for detained protesters expected to begin today

Mtavari Arkhi has reported that the trials of 23 activists arrested during the 28-29 November protests will be held today. 

The media outlet cited human rights defenders as stating that they were informed about the scheduling of the process late, and that they will file a motion with the judge to postpone the process. 

‘​​It should be noted that the 24-hour period of pre-trial detention for these detainees had expired and was extended to 48 hours, without any justification, but today they were still brought to the court. They were transferred only because there were no more places in the detention center for last night's detainees’, an unnamed human rights defender told Mtavari Arkhi. ‘This process is absolutely disorganized, chaotic, and in this chaotic situation we have to ensure that the detainees receive legal assistance as much as possible’.

The unnamed source also reported that many of the detainees had physical injuries.

UN special rapporteur calls on Georgian government to ‘stop misusing less lethal weapons’

The UN special rapporteur on the freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Gina Romero, has shared a thread on X outlining the international standards for the protection of the right to protest, noting that she has received ‘particularly worrying’ information about the ‘targeted use of pepper spray in the faces of protesters and the combination of water cannons and chemical irritants’.

#Georgia I am receiving disturbing news about police violence against participants in mass protests in reaction to the decision to delay EU talks. I call the government to respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to stop misusing less lethal weapons. Eyes in Georgia.…

— Gina Romero (@Ginitastar) November 29, 2024

France ‘closely monitoring’ situation in Georgia

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has published a statement, noting that France is ‘closely monitoring the situation in Georgia’.

‘We are concerned by reports of repression against protesters and journalists and call for respect for the right to peaceful protest. Fundamental freedoms, political pluralism and civil society must be respected’, the statement read. 

The Ministry noted that France would continue to maintain ‘strong ties’ with Georgian citizens and support their European aspirations, ‘which must not be betrayed’. 

MIA: 107 people detained during Tbilisi protests

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has stated that 107 people have been detained for ‘disobedience to the legal request of the police officer and petty hooliganism’.

In their official statement, the Ministry claimed that the rally on Rustaveli Avenue ‘repeatedly exceeded the norms established by the assembly and demonstration law’, noting that members of the rally confronted police officers both verbally and physically.

‘People on Rustaveli Avenue threw various objects, stones, pyrotechnics, glass bottles and iron objects in the direction of law enforcement officers’, the statement read. ‘As a result of the violent actions of the protestors, 10 employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were injured’.

Key events from yesterday:

• Over 40 employees from Georgia’s Defence Ministry signed a joint statement in support of European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Similar statements criticising the government’s decision to halt EU accession were shared by employees from the Education Ministry, State Service Development Agency, and the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health.
• Georgia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Otar Berdzenishvili, resigned over the issue.
• Georgian journalists held a rally in solidarity with colleagues who were injured during the first day of protests.
• Pro-EU and anti-government protests resurfaced nationwide, including in Kutaisi, Telavi, and Chorotskhu. In the country’s second largest city, Batumi, police arrested several people.
• Tens of thousands of people gathered outside parliament in Tbilisi, with a larger number of protesters than yesterday. Riot police began using water cannons early on in the protest, while also swearing at protesters through the sound system.
• In a televised address, President Salome Zourabichvili praised the protests as an ‘unprecedented movement’, while admonishing the riot police for using disproportionate force.
• Four journalists from the pro-government TV channel Rustavi 2 reportedly resigned in protest against the police violence and the government’s EU U-turn.
• In Tbilisi, riot police violently dispersed the protesters on Rustaveli Avenue. Footage showed protesters being beaten, including one man who was kicked several times in the head as he lay on the ground. Journalists were also targeted by police.