Police in Georgia arrest dozens in clash with pro-EU protesters
Published: 06:11 PM,Nov 29,2024 | EDITED : 10:11 PM,Nov 29,2024
Police officers stand in position as demonstrators gather to protest in front of Georgia's parliament in downtown Tbilisi after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the country would not pursue European Union accession until 2028. - AFP
Police in Georgia arrested dozens of people overnight in a violent crackdown on protests against the government's decision to delay EU membership talks.
The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the ruling party declared victory in October parliamentary elections that the pro-EU opposition decried as falsified.
On Thursday night and Friday morning, riot police deployed rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to disperse gatherings outside parliament in Tbilisi, beating peaceful protesters and journalists, a reporter witnessed.
The interior ministry said 32 of its staff were injured and '43 individuals were detained by law enforcement for disobeying lawful police orders and for petty hooliganism'.
Thousands of people took the streets after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the Caucasus country would not pursue membership of the European Union until 2028.
The opposition has accused Georgian Dream of steering Tbilisi away from its long-held dream of joining the bloc and gravitating towards Russia.
Two politicians from the opposition Coalition for Change, Elene Khoshtaria and Nana Malashkhia, were reportedly injured during the protests.
Khoshtaria sustained a broken arm, while Malashkhia suffered a broken nose, the coalition said.
Prominent poet Zviad Ratiani was among those arrested, the PEN writers' association in Georgia said, demanding his immediate release.
Ukraine said on Friday it was 'disappointed' by Tbilisi's decision to pause EU accession talks, accusing the Georgian government of trying to 'please Moscow'.
Opposition lawmakers are boycotting the new parliament, while Georgia's pro-EU president Salome Zurabishvili has sought to annul the election results through the country's constitutional court.
The prime minister's announcement to delay EU accession came hours after the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution rejecting the results of Georgia's October 26 elections, alleging 'significant irregularities'.
The resolution called for a new vote within a year under international supervision and for sanctions to be imposed on top Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Kobakhidze.
Accusing the European Parliament of 'blackmail', Kobakhidze said: 'We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028.'
But he pledged to continue implementing reforms, adding: 'By 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030.' - AFP
The Black Sea nation has been rocked by turmoil since the ruling party declared victory in October parliamentary elections that the pro-EU opposition decried as falsified.
On Thursday night and Friday morning, riot police deployed rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to disperse gatherings outside parliament in Tbilisi, beating peaceful protesters and journalists, a reporter witnessed.
The interior ministry said 32 of its staff were injured and '43 individuals were detained by law enforcement for disobeying lawful police orders and for petty hooliganism'.
Thousands of people took the streets after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the Caucasus country would not pursue membership of the European Union until 2028.
The opposition has accused Georgian Dream of steering Tbilisi away from its long-held dream of joining the bloc and gravitating towards Russia.
Two politicians from the opposition Coalition for Change, Elene Khoshtaria and Nana Malashkhia, were reportedly injured during the protests.
Khoshtaria sustained a broken arm, while Malashkhia suffered a broken nose, the coalition said.
Prominent poet Zviad Ratiani was among those arrested, the PEN writers' association in Georgia said, demanding his immediate release.
Ukraine said on Friday it was 'disappointed' by Tbilisi's decision to pause EU accession talks, accusing the Georgian government of trying to 'please Moscow'.
Opposition lawmakers are boycotting the new parliament, while Georgia's pro-EU president Salome Zurabishvili has sought to annul the election results through the country's constitutional court.
The prime minister's announcement to delay EU accession came hours after the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution rejecting the results of Georgia's October 26 elections, alleging 'significant irregularities'.
The resolution called for a new vote within a year under international supervision and for sanctions to be imposed on top Georgian officials, including Prime Minister Kobakhidze.
Accusing the European Parliament of 'blackmail', Kobakhidze said: 'We have decided not to bring up the issue of joining the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028.'
But he pledged to continue implementing reforms, adding: 'By 2028, Georgia will be more prepared than any other candidate country to open accession talks with Brussels and become a member state in 2030.' - AFP