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Organizers of Tbilisi rallies aim to sabotage upcoming presidential election — statement

The Georgian State Security Service believes that the anti-government rallies in Tbilisi are being carried out in coordination with foreign special services

TBILISI, December 10. /TASS/. Organizers of anti-government rallies in Tbilisi are trying to disrupt the Georgian presidential election scheduled for December 14, the State Security Service reported.

"According to our intel, the organizers of the destructive and criminal rallies are planning to disrupt the Georgian presidential election scheduled for December 14 and are trying to prevent the election of the sixth president of Georgia, thereby throwing the political system into chaos," the agency said in a statement.

"The organizers of this crime are planning to escalate things to the max on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and maybe Friday, killing two or three people in the process. They want to incite more protests with this sacrifice, to encourage radical sentiments, which, according to their plans, should precipitate further unrest, and to blame the authorities for it," the statement said.

The Georgian State Security Service believes that the anti-government rallies in Tbilisi are being carried out in coordination with foreign special services. "Local activists, in coordination with foreign special services, ensure the abovementioned processes (rallies in Tbilisi - TASS). The plan is developing in accordance with the well-known scenario of so-called color revolutions, including all kinds of rituals and gradual degradation, culminating in the murder of peaceful citizens, which contributes to the general escalation of the situation," the statement said.

The agency called on citizens to exercise maximum caution in order not to be injured. At the same time, the authorities ask people to record any suspicious activity or provocation on video and to contact law enforcement agencies.

Rallies in Georgia

The new wave of protests was triggered by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement on November 28, when he said that the ruling Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia party had decided to postpone any talks on starting EU accession negotiations until the end of 2028 and to refuse any funding from the organization. According to the prime minister, the decision comes after regular EU blackmail in connection with the talks, along with demands to repeal some recent laws and sanction Georgian officials. The nightly rallies are held daily near the parliament and usually end with the security forces dispersing the crowd with the help of special equipment. The most tense rallies were the first ones, when radical activists used fireworks against police officers and tried to damage the parliament building. Special forces responded with water cannons and tear gas. According to the latest information, more than 300 people have been detained and there are injuries on both sides.