TBILISI, December 3. /TASS/. Representatives of Georgia's opposition parties, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are responsible for the rallies in Tbilisi, the country's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said at a briefing.
"It will certainly not be possible to escape responsibility for the events that unfolded these past days from those politicians who organized this violence but hid in their offices. I will also remind you that leaders of wealthy NGOs, who participated in and supported these violent actions, were hiding in these offices," Kobakhidze said.
The head of the Georgian government also added that the authorities know it was the NGOs that supplied the demonstrators with special tear gas protective goggles, as well as purchased pyrotechnics and other equipment.
Yesterday evening, another anti-government protest took place in front of the Georgian parliament. From the outset, the demonstration escalated into clashes with the police, prompting law enforcement to forcefully push the protesters away from the building.
The current wave of protests was sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement on November 28, when he announced that the ruling Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia party had decided to delay any talks about launching accession negotiations until late 2028 and to reject any funding from the European Union. According to the premier, the decision came after repeated attempts by the EU to pressure Georgia with promises of launching the talks in exchange for Tbilisi revoking certain laws passed by the country’s parliament.