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The Guardian: Georgian police fire teargas at pro-EU protesters as political crisis deepens
The Guardian - (archived: https://archive.ph/aZ4VV ) Georgian police fire teargas at pro-EU protesters as political crisis deepens
Tbilisi experiences fifth day of demonstrations amid anger over ruling party’s decision to shelve EU accession talks
Agence France-Presse in Tbilisi
Mon 2 Dec 2024 18.15 EST
Georgian police have fired teargas to try to disperse thousands of pro-EU demonstrators rallying in the centre of Tbilisi amid a deepening political crisis in the Black Sea nation.
The country’s prime minister hours earlier had vowed “no negotiations” with the opposition, enraged by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to shelve EU accession talks after it claimed victory in an election they decried as fraudulent.
The Caucasus country of about 3.7 million has been rocked by turmoil since the 26 October parliamentary elections, with Georgian Dream facing accusations of betraying the country’s longstanding ambition of joining the EU and instead moving Tbilisi closer to Moscow.
Opposition lawmakers are boycotting the country’s parliament and the pro-EU president is seeking to throw out the election results in the constitutional court.
Prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze refused any potential negotiations with the opposition, as Monday marked five consecutive nights of clashes between protesters and riot police outside the parliament in central Tbilisi.
Thousands of demonstrators, waving Georgian and EU flags and shouting “Georgia”, were on the streets again, including in the second city of Batumi, to protest against the government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks.
/snip
Tbilisi experiences fifth day of demonstrations amid anger over ruling party’s decision to shelve EU accession talks
Agence France-Presse in Tbilisi
Mon 2 Dec 2024 18.15 EST
Georgian police have fired teargas to try to disperse thousands of pro-EU demonstrators rallying in the centre of Tbilisi amid a deepening political crisis in the Black Sea nation.
The country’s prime minister hours earlier had vowed “no negotiations” with the opposition, enraged by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to shelve EU accession talks after it claimed victory in an election they decried as fraudulent.
The Caucasus country of about 3.7 million has been rocked by turmoil since the 26 October parliamentary elections, with Georgian Dream facing accusations of betraying the country’s longstanding ambition of joining the EU and instead moving Tbilisi closer to Moscow.
Opposition lawmakers are boycotting the country’s parliament and the pro-EU president is seeking to throw out the election results in the constitutional court.
Prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze refused any potential negotiations with the opposition, as Monday marked five consecutive nights of clashes between protesters and riot police outside the parliament in central Tbilisi.
Thousands of demonstrators, waving Georgian and EU flags and shouting “Georgia”, were on the streets again, including in the second city of Batumi, to protest against the government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks.
/snip