TBILISI, December 13. /TASS/. Recent protests in Georgia resembled the Ukrainian Maidan revolution to Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili in terms of the symbols used.
"They (opposition groups - TASS) have been using the 'Maidan' tactics as they brought a coffin, decorated a Christmas tree, and opened fire, too. They stopped short of firing guns though, while the visual effect from fireworks was the same as we could see during [the Ukrainian] Maidan where more than 100 people were killed," Papuashvili told a news briefing.
According to the Georgian lawmaker, the opposition attempted another Maidan-like revolution after a delegation of European legislators had arrived in Tbilisi calling for larger-scale protests.
A new wave of protests began in Georgia on November 28, sparked by Prime Minister Irakly Kobakhidze’s statement that the ruling party, Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia, had decided to postpone any discussion about the country joining the European Union until the end of 2028 and to refuse any funding from the EU. He said that the decision was influenced by constant attempts at blackmail by the EU regarding the start of the accession dialogue, demands to cancel a number of laws adopted by the parliament.