TBILISI, November 19. /TASS/. Georgian police have arrested 16 people while breaking up an opposition protest in the capital, Tbilisi, the republic’s Interior Ministry reported. Of them, three were released on their own recognizance.
TASS has compiled the key facts about the situation.
Protests
- Georgian opposition leaders have been demonstrating against the results of the parliamentary election since November 4.
- On Sunday, a protest was initially held outside the parliament building in Tbilisi.
- Members of the Coalition for Change who marched to the parliament building decided to halt on Chavchavadze Avenue and block the street using shuttle buses.
- Later, a rally took place there. Protesters spent the night in several dozen tents set up on the roadway. They built barricades made of garbage bags and sacks of building materials.
- Law enforcement officers began to break up the protest on Tuesday morning.
- Participants in the rally were evacuated from Chavchavadze Avenue, where they had been demonstrating in front of the Tbilisi State University building for two days.
- The police used force again after protesters moved to Melikishvili Avenue.
- Traffic on Chavchavadze Avenue was restored after the police dissolved the protest.
- Sixteen people have been taken into custody, the Georgian Interior Ministry stated. Of them, three have been released on their recognizance.
Opposition rejects election results
- Georgia held its parliamentary election on October 26.
- The Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia ruling party won with 53.93% of the vote, securing 89 out of the 150 parliamentary seats, according to the final results from the Central Election Commission.
- Four opposition parties exceeded the 5% threshold required to enter parliament, but all have rejected the election results, citing claims of electoral fraud.