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Georgian special forces start forcing protesters out of Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi

They are using water cannons

TBILISI, December 1. /TASS/. Georgian special forces are using water cannons and tear gas to force protesters out of Rustaveli Avenue in the center of Tbilisi, a TASS correspondent reported from the scene.

Security forces blocked Rustaveli Avenue near the Tbilisi Opera House with a cordon throughout the night after pushing the anti-government protesters away from the area adjacent to the parliament around midnight. Meanwhile, a column of riot police began to move, pushing the demonstrators out of the entire Rustaveli Avenue.

The law enforcement officers pushed the citizens back to the Rustaveli metro station and stopped, not allowing them to return. Hundreds of protesters continue to move along Melikishvili Avenue, which is a continuation of Rustaveli Avenue, not wanting to return home.

In Tbilisi, another anti-government rally was held in front of the parliament building on Saturday. Tens of thousands of people gathered on Rustaveli Avenue. Later, the rally turned into a scuffle with the police. The Interior Ministry decided to disperse the protesters. The demonstrators were detained.

Mass protests have already taken place in Georgia in the past two days. In the early hours of November 30, rallies near the parliament in Tbilisi turned into clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers, who used water cannons and tear gas. According to Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, this was a response to "systematic violence on the part of protesters." There were casualties on both sides. The police detained about 150 people over two days.

The protest was sparked by Kobakhidze's statement on November 28. He said that the ruling party, Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia, had decided not to put the issue of negotiations for accession to the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028 and to refuse all budget subsidies from the community. According to the head of the government, the reasons for this are the constant blackmail of the EU regarding the start of the accession dialogue, demands to cancel a number of laws adopted by the parliament and calls to impose sanctions on the Georgian authorities.

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