Thousands of pro-European protesters rallied against Georgia’s government Tuesday for a 13th consecutive day, after the European Union warned it could punish authorities for their crackdown on demonstrators.Waving EU and Georgian flags and loudly blowing horns and whistles, demonstrators gathered outside parliament to voice outrage at the government’s decision to shelve its push to join the EU after disputed elections.”Every day after work we are coming here,” Sofia Japaridze, a 40-year-old air industry worker, told AFP.”All of Georgia, every city, every village, everybody wants (to join) the EU, we don’t want to go back to USSR,” she said.”I’m not going to give up — not now, not ever,” said Giorgi Chagelishvili, 26, a lawyer.The Caucasus nation has been mired in turmoil since the ruling Georgian Dream party — accused by the opposition of moving the country towards Russia — claimed victory in the October 26 parliamentary polls.The pro-Western opposition dismissed the vote as rigged, prompting tens of thousands to protest against alleged electoral fraud.Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s subsequent decision on November 28 to suspend Georgia’s talks to join the EU triggered a fresh wave of demonstrations that were met with a tough police response.The crackdown has triggered outrage at home and mounting international condemnation. On Tuesday, the EU said the bloc’s foreign ministers will discuss “additional measures” against Georgia’s authorities next week after what Brussels called “credible concerns” of torture against demonstrators. “The persistent democratic backslide and the recent repressive means used by Georgian authorities have consequences for our bilateral relations,” a statement said.- ‘Planned escalation’ -The United States, Britain, France and Germany have also voiced indignation at the handling of the protests.Critics accuse Georgian Dream of creeping authoritarianism.Security forces have fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse previous demonstrations and arrested over 400 people since the second wave of unrest began.Police have raided opposition party offices and detained leaders, while on Saturday masked men brutally assaulted opposition figures and journalists near the protest venue.The State Security Service said Tuesday it expected more trouble ahead of December 14, when Georgian Dream lawmakers are to elect a loyalist to succeed pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili. Without providing evidence, it claimed violent groups aiming to stop the vote were planning to cause “the deaths of two or three people” and then blame the government to “escalate” the protests. Zurabishvili — who has vowed not to step down until parliamentary polls are re-run — denounced this claim as an attempt to “psychologically terrorise people”, according to the Interpress news agency.- ‘Burning passion’ -Authorities have been at pains to project an air of normality. Kobakhidze has repeatedly said police averted an attempted revolution by what he called “liberal fascist” groups, while shrugging off the demonstrations as insubstantial. A giant Christmas tree has been set up outside parliament — the main protest venue. But protesters, young and old, have continued to demand a fresh vote and a return to European integration. On Tuesday, the crowd seemed somewhat sparser and quieter than on recent nights and riot police were nowhere in sight.The throwing of fireworks that dominated the first protests was largely absent, after authorities seized crates from opposition groups and proposed criminalising their use at protests. Some protesters held placards reading “Fight, Georgia!”, others chanted “Elections! Elections!”.Demonstrators vowed protests would not lose momentum as they neared a third week.”There is still fuel and burning passion to it, because there are already a lot of people who suffered, who were put in jail. That motivates us more,” said one demonstrator, 25-year-old Roland Kalandadze.He expressed the hope the government will be gone “before the new year”.“We will do whatever it takes to make people hear our voices,” said Lela Basilaia, 31, a lawyer, sporting orange swimming googles in case of tear gas.The previous night, demonstrators set alight a coffin containing an effigy of billionaire former premier Bidzina Ivanishvili, widely believed to pull the strings of power. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of the country’s bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by some four-fifths of the population.The party, in power for more than a decade, has passed controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights.Brussels has warned that such policies are incompatible with EU membership, while domestic detractors accuse the government of copying Russia’s playbook.
Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:05:07 GMT
