Georgian riot police on Friday deployed tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators protesting a government decision to delay asking for European Union accession, AFP reporters witnessed.
Thousands rallied in the capital Tbilisi and cities across Georgia after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the decision amid a post-election crisis that saw the country’s president challenge the legitimacy of the newly elected parliament and government.
Waving EU and Georgian flags, thousands rallied outside parliament, blocking traffic on the Georgian capital’s main road in the latest of a series of protests in the country.
Shortly after midnight, riot police deployed tear gas and water cannon against the demonstrators.
The prime minister’s announcement came hours after the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution rejecting the results of Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections, alleging “significant irregularities”.
The resolution called for new elections within a year under international supervision and for sanctions to be imposed on top Georgian officials, including Kobakhidze.
Accusing the European Parliament and “some European politicians” 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, asserting that “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”.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/massive-protest-erupts-in-georgia-after-pm-delays-eu-bid-13839890.html.
